The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and Ofcom have published joint advice for the government which proposes a new regime designed to curb the power of big tech platforms.

As well as smaller competitors online, the rules could help to bolster the UK’s newspapers and other publishers by providing a framework for fair financial terms for publishers’ content where this is hosted by the largest platforms with significant market power.

The proposals consist of legally-binding obligations on the biggest tech firms which provide clarity about how they should behave when dealing with consumers and businesses, including publishers.

In the event of a dispute between a platform and a publisher about the application of a code, the Digital Markets Unit (DMU) would have a role in deciding whether a contract or given behaviour by the firm was compliant.

The DMU was created in April last year, with the aim of boosting online competition for smaller players, as...