Internet Nondiscrimination Principles Revisited
40 Pages Posted: 16 Jul 2020 Last revised: 21 Jan 2021
Date Written: June 24, 2020
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
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation