Australia’s antitrust regulator has called for more powers to combat growing competition concerns, particularly from Google, in the advertising technology sector, stating that Australia’s existing competition laws alone cannot address the mounting issues. In a report published on Tuesday, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said an inquiry into advertising technology, also referred to as “ad tech” had identified “significant competition concerns” that can harm publishers, advertisers, and consumers. Ad tech is tools and software that allow advertisers to reach audiences, and deliver and measure digital advertising campaigns, in an ever-expanding digital economy. The technology is used in the buying and selling of digital display advertising and involves the automated use of complex algorithms and systems that create digital adverts such as images or videos, including pop-ups and banners, in a matter of milliseconds. The ACCC’s report considers ad tech services that deliver digital display advertising to consumers and associated advertising agency services, and focuses on open display channels. …