With the recently started sector inquiry , « comparison websites » the Federal Cartel Office is using for the first time its new investigative competences in the field of consumer protection.
The Bundeskartellamt’s investigation will focus on online comparison websites in the travel, insurance, financial services, telecommunications and energy sectors. The authority will question numerous operators on issues such as rankings, financing, interdependence, evaluations, availability or relevant market coverage in order to clarify and substantiate possible breaches of consumer law. The Federal Cartel Office’s (new) extensive investigative powers vis-à-vis the comparison websites will considerably improve the existing means of identifying and evaluating possible violations of the consumer protection law.
The Bundeskartellamt does not (yet) have decision-making and enforcement powers to supplement the system of privately enforced consumer protection in Germany. However it is better equipped ( staff, budget, internationally working on a daily basis) than the Federal German consumer protection administration.
Similar to sector inquiries in the area of the protection of competition, a sector inquiry in the area of consumer rights under Section 32e(5) of the German Competition Act (GWB) is not targeted against specific companies, but is intended to examine a specific sector of the economy.
Which looks like just the beginning of a long serial of inquiries in the digitalised industry.