Fairness and Enforcement: Bridging Competition, Data Protection and Consumer Law

International Data Privacy Law 2018, vol. 8 no. 3, p. 200-223

24 Pages Posted: 8 Aug 2018 Last revised: 8 Dec 2018

See all articles by Inge Graef

Inge Graef

Tilburg Law School; Tilburg University - Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology, and Society (TILT); Tilburg Law and Economics Center (TILEC)

Damian Clifford

Australian National University College of Law

Peggy Valcke

KU Leuven - Centre for IT & IP Law (CiTiP); European University Institute - Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies (RSCAS)

Date Written: July 20, 2018

Abstract

• Since the notion of fairness underpins the regimes of competition, data protection and consumer law, it can act as a connecting factor to align substantive protections and enforcement mechanisms in the three fields. • While most attention has so far been devoted to how vigorous competition enforcement can render data protection rules more effective, the complementarity between the regimes also works the other way around. • In particular, substantive data protection or consumer law principles can be integrated into competition analysis so as to strengthen the ability of competition authorities to tackle new forms of commercial conduct. • At the same time, the competition concepts of market definition and market power can help to interpret the scale of obligations that data controllers and processors have to comply with under data protection law in line with the risk-based approach of the General Data Protection Regulation. • Tensions occur where competition enforcement favours sharing or merging of datasets for economic efficiency reasons against the spirit of the data protection rules, but there is also room for synergies by involving data protection or consumer authorities in merger investigations and by considering data protection or consumer interests more proactively in the design of merger remedies.

Keywords: Abuse of dominance, data portability, exploitation, merger review, refusal to deal, unfair conditions

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Suggested Citation

Graef, Inge and Clifford, Damian and Valcke, Peggy, Fairness and Enforcement: Bridging Competition, Data Protection and Consumer Law (July 20, 2018). International Data Privacy Law 2018, vol. 8 no. 3, p. 200-223 , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3216198

Inge Graef (Contact Author)

Tilburg Law School ( email )

Tilburg, 5000 LE
Netherlands

Tilburg University - Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology, and Society (TILT) ( email )

P.O.Box 90153
Prof. Cobbenhagenlaan 221
Tilburg, 5037
Netherlands

Tilburg Law and Economics Center (TILEC) ( email )

Warandelaan 2
Tilburg, 5000 LE
Netherlands

Damian Clifford

Australian National University College of Law ( email )

Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200
Australia

Peggy Valcke

KU Leuven - Centre for IT & IP Law (CiTiP) ( email )

Sint-Michielsstraat 6 box 3443
Leuven, 3000
Belgium

European University Institute - Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies (RSCAS) ( email )

Villa La Fonte, via delle Fontanelle 18
50016 San Domenico di Fiesole
Florence, Florence 50014
Italy

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