The EU Commission publishes a preliminary report setting out the initial findings of its sector inquiry into the consumer Internet of Things

On 9 June 2021, the European Commission (EC) published a Preliminary Report setting out the initial findings of its sector inquiry into the consumer Internet of Things (“IoT”). The consumer IoT sector encompasses services, devices and technologies that support the interaction of consumers with connected devices, which collect and exchange data over the internet. The timing of the sector inquiry is critical. Apart from possibly leading to the future opening of competition investigations of individual companies, as was the case with other EC sector inquiries, it may also inform the ongoing legislative debate on the EC’s proposal for the Digital Markets Act and thus influence ex ante regulation. Coverage The EC reviewed information from more than 200 different stakeholders active in the