Pakistan’s Competition Commission (CCP) is using artificial intelligence (AI) and web-scraping tools to identify misleading advertisements and questionable product claims across digital platforms. Chairman CCP Farid Ahmad Tarar said the commission is monitoring online content to detect issues such as undisclosed mercury in beauty products and false claims about regulatory approvals. Its monitoring efforts also cover social media platforms and Meta’s Ad Library, where advertisements are examined for potentially deceptive information. Suspected violations are documented and verified before being referred for possible enforcement action.
Speaking at the First International Conference on Consumer Rights Protection in the Digital Era, held in Moscow on October 8 and 9, Tarar highlighted the impact of deceptive marketing on consumers and fair competition. He explained that Section 10 of the Competition Act, 2010, allows businesses to compete while requiring claims about prices, product quality, features and suitability to be truthful, transparent and verifiable. He also referred to cases involving Strepsils, Dettol, Lifebuoy and the marketing of frozen dessert as dairy ice cream to illustrate how misleading claims can influence consumer decisions and give businesses an unfair advantage.
The CCP chairman identified anonymous online sellers, counterfeit products, misleading product listings, cross-border transactions and the rapid spread of deceptive advertisements as major challenges in digital markets. AI-assisted analysis and web scraping can help the commission examine large volumes of online information and identify potential violations for further review. The commission has also emphasized the importance of business guidance and public awareness to help companies understand advertising requirements and encourage compliance with competition laws.
During the Moscow conference, Tarar also met Maxim Shaskolsky, head of Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service, to discuss cooperation under a memorandum of understanding signed on November 27, 2025. The agreement covers cartel investigations, abuse of market dominance, merger reviews, deceptive marketing and sector-specific competition assessments. Discussions included expert exchanges, training, consultations and joint research between the two regulators. The CCP’s use of digital monitoring tools forms part of its efforts to identify potentially misleading commercial practices, although suspected cases still require verification before enforcement action is considered.
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