A new division of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) market regulator must ensure that tech companies such as Facebook and Google are regulated more strictly.

The digital platform department, among other things, takes a closer look at Google and Facebook advertising platforms. For example, it is examined whether the provision of advertising services is going according to the rules, whether the prices are transparent enough and whether there is enough competition.

It also needs to be better understood how the algorithms of the tech companies, which determine what users see, work. Also, digital platforms must clarify how they tackle the spread of disinformation and fake news.

The regulator released a report on the impact of tech companies in Australia on Friday, after eighteen months of research. The report makes 23 recommendations for better regulation of Google and Facebook.

The ACCC department is authorized to conduct public investigations into the companies. It may also force companies to provide relevant information.

Google informed Reuters in a reaction that the company will continue to discuss the recommendations with the Australian government. Facebook has not responded yet.