A coalition of publishing, tech and other digital organisations have warned against a potential change to the competition watchdog’s appeal process that could allow tech giants to “leverage their resources in the courts to obstruct and delay” regulation.

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill is the UK’s version of legislation designed to regulate competition and dominance of the market by the biggest tech companies such as Google and Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp. It would also seek to force these platforms to negotiate payments for content with news publishers.

A coalition that includes the News Media Association, Professional Publishers Association, Public Interest News Foundation, Radiocentre and other tech businesses such as search engine Duck Duck Go, travel companies Expedia and Skyscanner, and the Open Web Advocacy has written to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak urging him to keep the Judicial Review standard for appeals within the bill.