Internet of Things, Data Are a Focus for EU, Vestager Warns

Industry’s use of data and the so-called internet of things is a focus for antitrust regulators, EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said on Thursday.

“We take an interest because here we see a potential of the value of that market doubling within this commission mandate” until 2024, she said at an online event. “The next wave of digitatization” she sees is “in the business-to-business digitization, where Europe holds a lot of assets, a lot of technology.”

The EU has been asked to investigate automobile data and weigh in on complaints on technology patent licensing for carmakers. Regulators are increasingly interested in how some companies gather data.

Vestager is due to announce a sweeping antitrust inquiry later on Thursday targeting an unspecified industry.

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Aoife White in Brussels at awhite62@bloomberg.net

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Peter Chapman

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