Tag: online platforms
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The Responsible Online Commerce Coalition (ROCC): Businesses team up to ensure a level playing field in e-commerce
Amazon’s revenues reached half a trillion dollars in 2022, having increased tenfold in a decade. There are few companies as fascinating and impressive as Amazon and arguably no other company occupies such a central position in the modern retail economy in the US and Europe. Its famous e-commerce platform represents more than half of e-commerce…
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Platform antitrust/regulation in 2023: Our eleven predictions
Happy New Year to all! The authors of this blog wish you the best for what will be a thrilling year for those interested in platforms. It has never been more exciting to operate in the tech space. To start the new year, we have put our heads together to make eleven predictions about 2023.…
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CMA market study into music streaming – What you need to know
The CMA has today launched a market study into music streaming. This is a step that could lead to a range of interventions: The CMA could issue guidance or recommendations; It could launch enforcement action under its antitrust powers (as happened after the electric vehicle charging market study); or It could make a market investigation…
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Apple’s cloud gaming restrictions may be biggest news in CMA interim report
As we explained in December, the CMA’s interim report on mobile ecosystems was a great piece of work which takes a holistic view of mobile ecosystems and the competition problems associated with these ecosystems. One concern raised in the interim report was not previously seen in the multiple reports and decisions issued by competition authorities…
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The DMA should stay true to its principles, or it could fail
As readers of this blog know, the core idea behind (and the principle underpinning) the DMA proposal is that a small number of large digital platforms have become “gatekeepers” in that they operate one or more important “gateways” for business users to reach end users. In this context, the DMA rightly proposes to impose on…
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The P2B Regulation is not consigned to oblivion: ACM launches market study, reminding us that transparency in the platform economy is important
The Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) announced a few days ago that it will launch a market study into how platforms deal with the rules laid down in the Platform-to-Business (P2B) Regulation. The P2B Regulation is a regulatory initiative that may not have received the attention it deserves. This could be explained by…
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The UK’s regulatory regime for Big Tech: will the Government dare to make it more effective?
The British Government’s consultation on the design of the new regulatory regime for Big Tech (the “Consultation”) closed on Friday. We gave our initial thoughts on this legislation back in July. This blog post picks out some of the other important issues. For the most part, the Government has followed the advice of the CMA’s…
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New paper on the App Store shows why antitrust intervention is needed
Last April Damien and I published a paper titled “The Antitrust Case Against the Apple App Store,” where we explored various concerns raised by Apple’s App Store practices under Article 102 TFEU. We focused in particular on the obligation of apps offering “digital goods or services” (think e.g., of a game app) to use Apple’s…
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The CMA publishes Final Report on online platforms and digital advertising
Last Wednesday the CMA published its voluminous Final Report on its market study on online platforms and digital advertising, accompanied by 27 (!) detailed Appendices. This is a massive piece of work, and the CMA should be commended for completing it within just one year. The Report examines ad-funded online platforms with a focus on…
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The App Store and antitrust: Lofty statements by Apple executive and academic friendly to Apple’s views don’t do the trick
On 16 June 2020, the European Commission opened formal antitrust investigations to assess whether Apple’s rules for app developers on the distribution of apps via the App Store violate EU competition rules. The Commission’s press release states that the Commission will investigate in particular two restrictions imposed by Apple in its agreements with companies that…