Year in Review 2021: Competition Law Looks Forward

Abstract

In 2021, Canada’s Competition Bureau faced a rapidly changing world. In addition to several challenging mergers, the global COVID-19 pandemic continued, alongside growing concern over the political influence of tech giants, and their relationship to economic inequality. Against a backdrop of broad social change there were increasing calls to modernize Canada’s competition policy. The Bureau’s enforcement actions were focused on big tech companies, including the launch of an investigation into Google Inc.’s marketing practices, and a review of the proposed acquisition of Canadian telecom company Shaw Communications Inc. by its rival, Rogers Communications Inc.