Lundqvist, Bjorn --- "Regulating competition in the digital economy" [2019] ELECD 2759; in Lundqvist, Bjorn; Gal, S. Michal (eds), "Competition Law for the Digital Economy" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2019) 2

Book Title: Competition Law for the Digital Economy

Editor(s): Lundqvist, Björn; Gal, S. Michal

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Section: Chapter 1

Section Title: Regulating competition in the digital economy

Author(s): Lundqvist, Björn

Number of pages: 27

Abstract/Description:

The perceived lack of competition and the apparent power of platforms in the digital economy are currently triggering the attention of politicians, business¬men, the academic community and, even, the general public. The chapter addresses the platforms, with special focus on when competition law may be useful for accessing data or regulating leveraging of market power. It sketches a framework for how to address platforms under competition law, i.e. on what levels do they conduct their business and compete and what exclusionary unilat-eral practices are relevant in the digital economy. The chapter concludes that general competition law may not be readily applicable for the conduct of platforms at its current stage of development,while sector-specific regulations seem to emerge as a tool for accessing data held by platform and competitors. However, the main issue under general competition law in the data industry, at its current stage of development, is to create a levelled playing field by trying to facilitate the implementation of the Internet of Things.