With technological advancements changing both how antitrust laws are enforced and how undertakings violate competition laws, the fourth industrial revolution and the rapid growth of AI continue to affect this area of law, as many others. It is impossible to ignore the potential for AI to conquer markets and its ability to spot and fix basic market balance violations. Despite the benefits of technology for customers, it also threatens their interests by distorting market dynamics and impacting competition.

April 2023 – On 12 April 2023, the Turkish Competition Authority (“Authority”) announced that it initiated a sector inquiry into mobile ecosystems. The sector inquiry aims to identify the possible competitive and anti-competitive effects caused by mobile ecosystems, develop effective policies based on them, and ultimately establish a competitive market in the digital economy.

Former Counsel Daniel Aranyi has been promoted to Partner at Bird & Bird in Budapest, where he also leads the firm's Energy and Competition practice.

The Serbian Competition Commission initiated an infringement investigation. On 20 April 2023, the Commission for the Protection of the Competition (“Commission”) initiated one more infringement investigation and carried out a dawn raid, this time against KTG Solucije d.o.o. Subotica (“KTG”) and Eco-Sense doo Subotica (“Eco Sense”) for possible RPM (resale price maintenance) and sharing of markets or source of supply in public procurement proceedings related to the materials and means for maintaining hygiene in facilities.

Former Hogan Lovells Counsel Akos Kovach has been promoted to a Partner position in the firm’s Hungarian affiliate law firm of Partos & Noblet.

April 2023 – On 7 April 2023, the Turkish Competition Authority (“Authority”) published its Preliminary Report prepared within the scope of the “Online Advertising Sector Inquiry” (“Report”) that it initiated on 21 January 2021.