{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/digital-markets-competition-and-consumers-act-2024/section-26",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/digital-markets-competition-and-consumers-act-2024/section-26.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2024/13",
  "legislation_title": "Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/digital-markets-competition-and-consumers-act-2024",
  "path": "section/26",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "26",
  "heading": "Power to begin a conduct investigation",
  "text": "(1) The CMA may begin an investigation (a “conduct investigation”) where it has reasonable grounds to suspect that an undertaking has breached a conduct requirement.\n(2) A conduct investigation is an investigation into—\n(a) whether a breach has occurred, and\n(b) if it has, what action, if any, the CMA should take in relation to the breach.\n(3) When the CMA begins a conduct investigation it must give a notice (a “conduct investigation notice”) to the undertaking which it suspects has breached a conduct requirement.\n(4) The conduct investigation notice must—\n(a) state the conduct requirement which the CMA suspects has been breached;\n(b) describe the conduct which the CMA suspects constituted the breach;\n(c) state the period within which the undertaking may make representations in relation to the conduct investigation (see subsection (5));\n(d) state the period by the end of which the CMA must give a notice to the undertaking setting out its findings as a result of the conduct investigation (see section 30(2));\n(e) state the circumstances in which that period may be extended (see section 104);\n(f) state the effect of the following provisions—\n(i) section 28 (closing a conduct investigation without making a finding);\n(ii) section 30 (notice of findings);\n(iii) section 36 (commitments).\n(5) The period mentioned in subsection (4)(c) is such period as the CMA may determine.\n(6) As soon as reasonably practicable after giving a conduct investigation notice, the CMA must publish the conduct investigation notice.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 26 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 339(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I2",
      "text": "S. 26 in force at 1.1.2025 by S.I. 2024/1226, regs. 1(2), 2(1)(2)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2024/13/section/26",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-05T03:35:09.592730+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}