FAS CREATES A NEW WEB-SERVICE: “BIG DIGITAL CAT”

This is an automated program for exposing and proving cartels

Stats-Secretary, Deputy Head of FAS Andrey Tsarikovskiy informed about it the Cartel Working Group of the International Competition Network (ICN) on 17 October in Tel-Aviv (Israel).

Competition authorities from different countries exchanged experience on launching investigations in the big data era, in the field of antimonopoly and computer forensics.

Andrey Tsarikovskiy described the tools for exposing and analyzing violations of the competition law in the digital sector used by Russian competition authority.

Under digitalization and globalization the concept of competition is changing, as well as the content and forms of anti-competitive relations because this way business adapts to new realities”, emphasized Andrey Tsarikovskiy.  

He pointed out that FAS registers active use of new digital capabilities by business for unlawful activities and gave examples of such cases. They include coordination of economic activity between resellers of LG smartphones with regular data collection about prices using a special price algorithm, and use of auction robots to violate the law I procurement of medical materials for hospitals.

“We understand that to counter modern cartels new methods of exposing and proving should be created. This is why FAS has developed, implemented and successfully uses a multi-parameter system for exposing and proving bid-rigging cartels”, informed Deputy Head of FAS. “As a result of applying it, cartel exposure can take place without leaving the office and last 1 day while collecting and analyzing evidence – up to 1 month”.

He said that FAS is developing an automated program to expose and prove cartels, the so-called “Big Digital Cat” web-service. It will be used to control auctions and expose anticompetitive agreements. The program will work, particularly, in the basis of the procurement information system and other data sources: mass media, e-trading sites, open information sources, etc.

According to Andrey Tsarikovskiy, FAS has reached a conclusion that it is necessary to establish a special team to investigate cases on cartels and other anticompetitive agreements in the digital field. The Anti-Cartel Department will form a special unit to deal with digital investigations.

“Today we prove anticompetitive practices successfully, including bid-rigging cartels that use “peaceful” digital tools for mercenary ends. FAS has already started learning about the programs with a priori criminal functionalities and we plan to engage the best specialists in those investigations”, summed up Andrey Tsarikovskiy.