Despite the overwhelming importance of digital platforms, and the chatter around their recent rise, our understanding of digital ecosystems is still limited. As such, we risk plunging into a regulatory debate without having first properly analyzed the nature of the problem. We need more grounded empirical work on digital competition and power.
More recently, a number of high-profile cases have been introduced in the US, EU, UK, France, and China against digital platforms, showing that recent regulatory efforts are a complement rather than a substitute for traditional competition law tools. The year 2021 promises to be one of intense lobbying and regulatory discussion, with both Big Tech firms, whose power and market capitalization have increased through the pandemic, and governments, alarmed and emboldened by popular reaction, gearing up for a standoff.
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