The Canadian Competition Bureau has put out a call-out for information. The Bureau is looking into concerns that online search, social media, display advertising and online marketplaces, have become increasingly concentrated, to the detriment of consumers and businesses.

As the multi-national companies start to find that growing revenue is becoming more difficult, they are starting to try new strategies and tactics to make money. Some of these aren’t always in the best interest of entrepreneurs with small businesses. Increasingly, entrepreneurs are having to pay to have visibility in markets that previously would have been available to them for free. This is a problem as many small businesses and new businesses don’t have the resources to buy this access.

It’s incredibly important that access to the Internet and the ability to be found by potential customers have a very low barrier to entry. Any Canadian entrepreneur willing to put in the effort and build the skill to create an online business, should be able to do so at minimal cost. This will ensure that this opportunity is available to the largest group of people.

If you have been negatively affected by a lack of competition in digital markets or if you have concerns about too much power being in too few hands, you can make an anonymous submission to the Bureau. The deadline for submissions is November 30, 2019.