Competitors Bureau opens investigation into Utilized Methods

Insurance coverage software program enterprise Utilized Methods is dealing with a Canadian Competitors Bureau investigation into alleged “anti-competitive” conduct.

The Federal Courtroom of Canada granted an order on November 14, 2023, requiring Utilized Methods Canada to supply data and written info for the Competitors Bureau’s investigation.

The Competitors Bureau will use info obtained throughout its Utilized Methods investigation to “decide if the alleged conduct is harming competitors in Canada’s insurance coverage know-how (insurtech) trade,” the division mentioned in a brand new launch.

The division is additional set to analyze “whether or not Utilized Methods is participating in conduct opposite to the restrictive commerce practices provisions of the Competitors Act, together with the abuse of dominance provision.”

What’s abuse of dominance?

Abuse of dominance is when a enterprise or group of companies engages in exercise that forestalls market competitors or considerably lessens it.

Companies which might be discovered to have engaged in abuse of dominance can face a variety of cures, together with consensual resolutions, orders to endure structural and behavioural adjustments, prohibition and prescriptive orders, or administrative penalties together with a effective of as much as CA$10 million for the primary order, and CA$15 million for every subsequent order.

Utilized Methods says it’s “absolutely cooperating” with Competitors Bureau competitors investigation

In an announcement shared with Insurance coverage Enterprise, Utilized Methods confirmed it’s conscious of the investigation and is “absolutely cooperating” with the assessment course of.

“There was no discovering of any non-compliance. We imagine Utilized is in compliance with the Competitors Act and we’re assured that we are going to efficiently resolve the investigation,” mentioned Utilized Methods chief authorized counsel Wealthy Cohan.

“Our folks stay dedicated to Utilized’s mission to ship innovation that creates extra worth for the whole international insurance coverage worth chain and allow brokerages, insurers, and companions to safeguard and defend what issues most to hundreds of thousands of individuals around the globe.”

Canada up to date its Competitors Act final 12 months to broaden its scope

Canada’s parliament added amendments to the nation’s Competitors Act in June 2022, broadening its scope and clarifying an anti-competitive act as one that’s “meant to have a predatory, exclusionary, or disciplinary adverse affect on a competitor, or to have an opposed impact on competitors.”

“I’ve been fairly clear that our competitors regulation is not match for our trendy economic system and lags far behind the most effective practices in use by different nations around the globe,” Boswell mentioned.

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