Competition Commission: Final Media and Digital Platforms Market Inquiry Report

Posted 26 November 2025 Written by Acts Online
Category Competition Law

Brought to you by SA Accounting Academy: The Competition Commission has published its final report on the Media and Digital Platforms Market Inquiry (MDPMI), concluding a 24-month investigation into the impact of digital platforms on South Africa’s news media sector.

In terms of the Competition Act, No. 89 of 1998, the Commission has finalised its inquiry into the media and digital platforms market. The report follows five rounds of information requests, public hearings, and expert submissions since the inquiry’s inception in March 2023. The findings highlight how the transition to digital platforms has undermined traditional revenue models, leading to shrinking newsrooms and constrained reporting capacity across the country.

The Inquiry identified that major global platforms—including Google, Meta, Microsoft, TikTok, X, and OpenAI—dominate the primary gateways through which South Africans access information. The Commission found that search engines and social media platforms capture monetisation opportunities that traditionally sustained news outlets, while AI chatbots have scraped content without compensation to train large language models.

Key Remedies and Regulatory Outcomes

  • A negotiated and enforceable funding package between the Commission and Google.
  • Enforceable remedies for Meta, TikTok, Microsoft, X, and OpenAI.
  • New commitments regarding YouTube and specific remedies for the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).
  • The establishment of a rights-based democratic framing for the analysis of digital platform dominance.

Click here to download the Final Report: Media and Digital Platforms Market Inquiry (Non-Confidential).

What this means for you, your business, or your clients

  • For yourself: No direct individual compliance obligations; however, legal and compliance professionals should familiarise themselves with the new enforceable remedies to advise on media-tech interactions.
  • For your business: Professional firms serving the media sector should review the financial implications of the new funding packages and enforceable remedies on their clients’ revenue recognition and sustainability models.
  • For your clients: Media publishers may now seek participation in negotiated funding packages, while digital platform clients must implement the Commission’s enforceable remedies regarding content usage and compensation.

Originally published at https://accountingacademy.co.za/news/read/competition-commission-final-media-and-digital-platforms-market-inquiry-mdpmi-report

The views expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Acts Online. Acts Online accepts no responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the article, nor does the information contained herein constitute advice, legal or otherwise.