Internet Nondiscrimination Principles Revisited

Abstract

Unfair and sometimes illegal business practices have contributed to the massive growth and power of dominant digital platforms. These platforms therefore enjoy undeserved power. Policymakers should embrace basic principles of fairness to ensure their power is reduced, or at least is exercised in a more responsible way. Nondiscrimination is critical: these platforms should not be able to undercut smaller businesses to promote their own offerings in a biased way. A nondiscrimination model could help policymakers better develop targeted regulation. Antitrust enforcement, transparency, and some aspects of public utility regulation are also critical.

Keywords: antitrust, unfair competition, competition law, monopoly, digital markets, political economy, platform regulation

JEL Classification: L12, L13, L4, L41