Read Books Online and Download eBooks, EPub, PDF, Mobi, Kindle, Text Full Free.
The Competitive Effects Of Vertical Integration In Platform Markets
Download The Competitive Effects Of Vertical Integration In Platform Markets full books in PDF, epub, and Kindle. Read online The Competitive Effects Of Vertical Integration In Platform Markets ebook anywhere anytime directly on your device. Fast Download speed and no annoying ads. We cannot guarantee that every ebooks is available!
Book Synopsis The Antitrust Paradox by : Robert Bork
Download or read book The Antitrust Paradox written by Robert Bork and published by . This book was released on 2021-02-22 with total page 536 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The most important book on antitrust ever written. It shows how antitrust suits adversely affect the consumer by encouraging a costly form of protection for inefficient and uncompetitive small businesses.
Book Synopsis Natural Monopolies in Digital Platform Markets by : Francesco Ducci
Download or read book Natural Monopolies in Digital Platform Markets written by Francesco Ducci and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2020-07-23 with total page 203 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Through three case studies, this book investigates whether digital industries are naturally monopolistic and evaluates policy approaches to market power.
Book Synopsis Market definition and market power in the platform economy by : Jens-Uwe Franck
Download or read book Market definition and market power in the platform economy written by Jens-Uwe Franck and published by Centre on Regulation in Europe asbl (CERRE). This book was released on 2019-05-08 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With the rise of digital platforms and the natural tendency of markets involving platforms to become concentrated, competition authorities and courts are more frequently in a position to investigate and decide merger and abuse cases that involve platforms. This report provides guidance on how to define markets and on how to assess market power when dealing with two-sided platforms. DEFINITION Competition authorities and courts are well advised to uniformly use a multi-markets approach when defining markets in the context of two-sided platforms. The multi-markets approach is the more flexible instrument compared to the competing single-market approach that defines a single market for both sides of a platform, as the former naturally accounts for different substitution possibilities by the user groups on the two sides of the platform. While one might think of conditions under which a single-market approach could be feasible, the necessary conditions are so severe that it would only be applicable under rare circumstances. To fully appreciate business activities in platform markets from a competition law point of view, and to do justice to competition law’s purpose, which is to protect consumer welfare, the legal concept of a “market” should not be interpreted as requiring a price to be paid by one party to the other. It is not sufficient to consider the activities on the “unpaid side” of the platform only indirectly by way of including them in the competition law analysis of the “paid side” of the platform. Such an approach would exclude certain activities and ensuing positive or negative effects on consumer welfare altogether from the radar of competition law. Instead, competition practice should recognize straightforwardly that there can be “markets” for products offered free of charge, i.e. without monetary consideration by those who receive the product. ASSESSMENT The application of competition law often requires an assessment of market power. Using market shares as indicators of market power, in addition to all the difficulties in standard markets, raises further issues for two-sided platforms. When calculating revenue shares, the only reasonable option is to use the sum of revenues on all sides of the platform. Then, such shares should not be interpreted as market shares as they are aggregated over two interdependent markets. Large revenue shares appear to be a meaningful indicator of market power if all undertakings under consideration serve the same sides. However, they are often not meaningful if undertakings active in the relevant markets follow different business models. Given potentially strong cross-group external effects, market shares are less apt in the context of two-sided platforms to indicate market power (or the lack of it). Barriers to entry are at the core of persistent market power and, thus, the entrenchment of incumbent platforms. They deserve careful examination by competition authorities. Barriers to entry may arise due to users’ coordination failure in the presence of network effect. On two-sided platforms, users on both sides of the market have to coordinate their expectations. Barriers to entry are more likely to be present if an industry does not attract new users and if it does not undergo major technological change. Switching costs and network effects may go hand in hand: consumer switching costs sometimes depend on the number of platform users and, in this case, barriers to entry from consumer switching costs increase with platform size. Since market power is related to barriers to entry, the absence of entry attempts may be seen as an indication of market power. However, entry threats may arise from firms offering quite different services, as long as they provide a new home for users’ attention and needs.
Book Synopsis Handbook of Antitrust Economics by : Paolo Buccirossi
Download or read book Handbook of Antitrust Economics written by Paolo Buccirossi and published by . This book was released on 2008-03-21 with total page 716 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Experts examine the application of economic theory to antitrust issues in both the United States and Europe, discussing mergers, agreements, abuses of dominance, and the impact of market features. Over the past twenty years, economic theory has begun to play a central role in antitrust matters. In earlier days, the application of antitrust rules was viewed almost entirely in formal terms; now it is widely accepted that the proper interpretation of these rules requires an understanding of how markets work and how firms can alter their efficient functioning. The Handbook of Antitrust Economics offers scholars, students, administrators, courts, companies, and lawyers the economist's view of the subject, describing the application of newly developed theoretical models and improved empirical methods to antitrust and competition law in both the United States and the European Union. (The book uses the U.S. term “antitrust law” and the European “competition law” interchangeably, emphasizing the commonalities between the two jurisdictions.) After a general discussion of the use of empirical methods in antitrust cases, the Handbook covers mergers, agreements, abuses of dominance (or unilateral conducts), and market features that affect the way firms compete. Chapters examine such topics as analyzing the competitive effects of both horizontal and vertical mergers, detecting and preventing cartels, theoretical and empirical analysis of vertical restraints, state aids, the relationship of competition law to the defense of intellectual property, and the application of antitrust law to “bidding markets,” network industries, and two-sided markets. Contributors Mark Armstrong, Jonathan B. Baker, Timothy F. Bresnahan, Paulo Buccirossi, Nicholas Economides, Hans W. Friederiszick, Luke M. Froeb, Richard J. Gilbert, Joseph E. Harrington, Jr., Paul Klemperer, Kai-Uwe Kuhn, Francine Lafontaine, Damien J. Neven, Patrick Rey, Michael H. Riordan, Jean-Charles Rochet, Lars-Hendrick Röller, Margaret Slade, Giancarlo Spagnolo, Jean Tirole, Thibaud Vergé, Vincent Verouden, John Vickers, Gregory J. Werden
Book Synopsis The Economics of Platforms by : Paul Belleflamme
Download or read book The Economics of Platforms written by Paul Belleflamme and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2021-11-11 with total page 275 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Digital platforms controlled by Alibaba, Alphabet, Amazon, Facebook, Netflix, Tencent and Uber have transformed not only the ways we do business, but also the very nature of people's everyday lives. It is of vital importance that we understand the economic principles governing how these platforms operate. This book explains the driving forces behind any platform business with a focus on network effects. The authors use short case studies and real-world applications to explain key concepts such as how platforms manage network effects and which price and non-price strategies they choose. This self-contained text is the first to offer a systematic and formalized account of what platforms are and how they operate, concisely incorporating path-breaking insights in economics over the last twenty years.
Book Synopsis Harvard Law Review: Volume 124, Number 8 - June 2011 by : Harvard Law Review
Download or read book Harvard Law Review: Volume 124, Number 8 - June 2011 written by Harvard Law Review and published by Quid Pro Books. This book was released on 2011-06-28 with total page 613 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Contents of issue number 8 (volume 124, June 2011) are: In Memoriam: William J. Stuntz Pamela S. Karlan Michael J. Klarman Martha Minow Daniel C. Richman Robert E. Scott David Skeel Carol Steiker ARTICLES: The Host’s Dilemma: Strategic Forfeiture in Platform Markets for Informational Goods, Jonathan M. Barnett Separation of Powers as Ordinary Interpretation, John F. Manning NOTES: Interpreting Silence: The Roles of the Courts and the Executive Branch in Head of State Immunity Cases Advisory Opinions and the Influence of the Supreme Court over American Policymaking RECENT CASES: Fourth Amendment — Qualified Immunity Criminal Law — Sentencing Guidelines Civil Procedure — Protective Orders Constitutional Law — First Amendment Criminal Law — Sentencing RECENT LEGISLATION: Administrative Law — Agency Design (Dodd-Frank/CFPB) RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Book Synopsis The Oxford Handbook of the Digital Economy by : Martin Peitz
Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of the Digital Economy written by Martin Peitz and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2012-08-23 with total page 615 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The economic analysis of the digital economy has been a rapidly developing research area for more than a decade. Through authoritative examination by leading scholars, this Handbook takes a closer look at particular industries, business practices, and policy issues associated with the digital industry. The volume offers an up-to-date account of key topics, discusses open questions, and provides guidance for future research. It offers a blend of theoretical and empirical works that are central to understanding the digital economy. The chapters are presented in four sections, corresponding with four broad themes: 1) infrastructure, standards, and platforms; 2) the transformation of selling, encompassing both the transformation of traditional selling and new, widespread application of tools such as auctions; 3) user-generated content; and 4) threats in the new digital environment. The first section covers infrastructure, standards, and various platform industries that rely heavily on recent developments in electronic data storage and transmission, including software, video games, payment systems, mobile telecommunications, and B2B commerce. The second section takes account of the reduced costs of online retailing that threatens offline retailers, widespread availability of information as it affects pricing and advertising, digital technology as it allows the widespread employment of novel price and non-price strategies (bundling, price discrimination), and auctions, as well as better tar. The third section addresses the emergent phenomenon of user-generated content on the Internet, including the functioning of social networks and open source. Finally, the fourth section discusses threats arising from digitization and the Internet, namely digital piracy, privacy and internet security concerns.
Book Synopsis Market Investigations by : Massimo Motta
Download or read book Market Investigations written by Massimo Motta and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2022-01-06 with total page 411 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In many economic sectors – the digital industries being first and foremost – the market power of dominant firms has been steadily increasing and is rarely challenged by competitors. Existing competition laws and regulations have been unable to make markets more contestable. The book argues that a new competition tool is needed: market investigations. This tool allows authorities to intervene in markets which do not function as they should, due to market features such as network effects, scale economies, switching costs, and behavioural biases. The book explains the role of market investigations, assesses their use in the few jurisdictions where they exist, and discusses how they should be designed. In so doing, it provides an invaluable and timely instrument to both practitioners and academics.
Book Synopsis Environmental and Energy Policy and the Economy by : Matthew J. Kotchen
Download or read book Environmental and Energy Policy and the Economy written by Matthew J. Kotchen and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2022-01-24 with total page 275 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume presents six new papers on environmental and energy economics and policy in the United States. Rebecca Davis, J. Scott Holladay, and Charles Sims analyze recent trends in and forecasts of coal-fired power plant retirements with and without new climate policy. Severin Borenstein and James Bushnell examine the efficiency of pricing for electricity, natural gas, and gasoline. James Archsmith, Erich Muehlegger, and David Rapson provide a prospective analysis of future pathways for electric vehicle adoption. Kenneth Gillingham considers the consequences of such pathways for the design of fuel vehicle economy standards. Frank Wolak investigates the long-term resource adequacy in wholesale electricity markets with significant intermittent renewables. Finally, Barbara Annicchiarico, Stefano Carattini, Carolyn Fischer, and Garth Heutel review the state of research on the interactions between business cycles and environmental policy.
Book Synopsis The role of data for digital markets contestability by : Jan Krämer
Download or read book The role of data for digital markets contestability written by Jan Krämer and published by Centre on Regulation in Europe asbl (CERRE). This book was released on 2020-09-09 with total page 135 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report analyses the processes that turn data into economic value for online search, e-commerce and media platforms. It concludes that forcing data sharing through policy intervention would not prevent dominant incumbents to continue to benefit economically from greater access to data over new entrants. Instead, policy makers should focus on enabling niche entry, niche growth and a level playing field for competitors in new and emerging markets. Data play a central role in the business models that shape competition and innovation in digital markets. As dominant providers of online services collect ever more user data they generate data-driven network effects. They can then improve their services faster, and venture faster into related markets than competitors with less data, thereby raising entry barriers for innovative start-ups. The authors, Sally Broughton Micova (CERRE & University of East Anglia), Jan Krämer (CERRE & University of Passau) and Daniel Schnurr (University of Passau), have analysed processes that transform data into economic value for online search, e-commerce and media platforms. They find that in each case, more data, especially on user behaviour, gradually improves the quality of the service, thereby generating high economic benefits for the firm. The authors find that data-driven network effects can nevertheless be a source of efficiency which can ultimately benefit consumers. Even if some data is shared through policy intervention, dominant incumbents will continue to benefit economically and competitively from greater access to data over new entrants. “We conclude that it is neither realistic nor desirable to try to break data-driven network effects through policy intervention. Instead, we would strongly encourage policy makers to focus on enabling niche entry and niche growth. To do so, they should facilitate the sharing of behavioural user data gathered by the dominant firm with other firms.” The authors provide policy recommendations for data access remedies to safeguard competition, innovation and the openness of the digital ecosystem: 1. Remedies that achieve a more level playing field in the digital economy by breaking the data-driven network effects of data-rich incumbents should be entertained as a last resort and only under specific conditions. 2. Policy makers should foster data sharing on two levels to strike a balance between consumers’ privacy, competition and innovation. They should require the sharing of aggregated and anonymised raw user data in bulk, after a careful review and on a case-by-case basis. They should also facilitate the sharing of detailed raw user data through improved data portability, based on individual users’ consent. Bulk sharing of raw user data should be limited to data that was collected as a by-product of the incumbent’s dominant user-facing service, such as search logs, in order to maintain incentives for innovation and data collection. The main challenge will be to balance privacy concerns with maintaining enough detailed data to ensure it is of value to third-parties. 3. Dominant firms should also be obliged to allow consumers to port their raw data to another provider continuously and in real time. Privacy concerns can then be overcome and the shared user profiles can be more detailed than under bulk sharing. In concert with bulk-sharing, data portability can be a valuable source for attaining both detailed and representative data sets.
Book Synopsis A Tea Reader by : Katrina Avila Munichiello
Download or read book A Tea Reader written by Katrina Avila Munichiello and published by Tuttle Publishing. This book was released on 2017-03-21 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Tea Reader contains a selection of stories that cover the spectrum of life. This anthology shares the ways that tea has changed lives through personal, intimate stories. Read of deep family moments, conquered heartbreak, and peace found in the face of loss. A Tea Reader includes stories from all types of tea people: people brought up in the tea tradition, those newly discovering it, classic writings from long-ago tea lovers and those making tea a career. Together these tales create a new image of a tea drinker. They show that tea is not simply something you drink, but it also provides quiet moments for making important decisions, a catalyst for conversation, and the energy we sometimes need to operate in our lives. The stories found in A Tea Reader cover the spectrum of life, such as the development of new friendships, beginning new careers, taking dream journeys, and essentially sharing the deep moments of life with friends and families. Whether you are a tea lover or not, here you will discover stories that speak to you and inspire you. Sit down, grab a cup, and read on.
Book Synopsis Handbook of Industrial Organization by : Richard Schmalensee
Download or read book Handbook of Industrial Organization written by Richard Schmalensee and published by North Holland. This book was released on 1989-09-11 with total page 1002 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Determinants of firm and market organization; Analysis of market behavior; Empirical methods and results; International issues and comparision; government intervention in the Marketplace.
Book Synopsis Competition Law for the Digital Economy by : Björn Lundqvist
Download or read book Competition Law for the Digital Economy written by Björn Lundqvist and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2019-12-27 with total page 399 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The digital economy is gradually gaining traction through a variety of recent technological developments, including the introduction of the Internet of things, artificial intelligence and markets for data. This innovative book contains contributions from leading competition law scholars who map out and investigate the anti-competitive effects that are developing in the digital economy.
Book Synopsis Competition Policy by : Massimo Motta
Download or read book Competition Policy written by Massimo Motta and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2004-01-12 with total page 650 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first book to provide a systematic treatment of the economics of antitrust (or competition policy) in a global context. It draws on the literature of industrial organisation and on original analyses to deal with such important issues as cartels, joint-ventures, mergers, vertical contracts, predatory pricing, exclusionary practices, and price discrimination, and to formulate policy implications on these issues. The interaction between theory and practice is one of the main features of the book, which contains frequent references to competition policy cases and a few fully developed case studies. The treatment is written to appeal to practitioners and students, to lawyers and economists. It is not only a textbook in economics for first year graduate or advanced undergraduate courses, but also a book for all those who wish to understand competition issues in a clear and rigorous way. Exercises and some solved problems are provided.
Book Synopsis Platform Revolution: How Networked Markets Are Transforming the Economy and How to Make Them Work for You by : Geoffrey G. Parker
Download or read book Platform Revolution: How Networked Markets Are Transforming the Economy and How to Make Them Work for You written by Geoffrey G. Parker and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2016-03-28 with total page 433 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A practical guide to the new economy that is transforming the way we live, work, and play. Uber. Airbnb. Amazon. Apple. PayPal. All of these companies disrupted their markets when they launched. Today they are industry leaders. What’s the secret to their success? These cutting-edge businesses are built on platforms: two-sided markets that are revolutionizing the way we do business. Written by three of the most sought-after experts on platform businesses, Platform Revolution is the first authoritative, fact-based book on platform models. Whether platforms are connecting sellers and buyers, hosts and visitors, or drivers with people who need a ride, Geoffrey G. Parker, Marshall W. Van Alstyne, and Sangeet Paul Choudary reveal the what, how, and why of this revolution and provide the first “owner’s manual” for creating a successful platform business. Platform Revolution teaches newcomers how to start and run a successful platform business, explaining ways to identify prime markets and monetize networks. Addressing current business leaders, the authors reveal strategies behind some of today’s up-and-coming platforms, such as Tinder and SkillShare, and explain how traditional companies can adapt in a changing marketplace. The authors also cover essential issues concerning security, regulation, and consumer trust, while examining markets that may be ripe for a platform revolution, including healthcare, education, and energy. As digital networks increase in ubiquity, businesses that do a better job of harnessing the power of the platform will win. An indispensable guide, Platform Revolution charts out the brilliant future of platforms and reveals how they will irrevocably alter the lives and careers of millions.
Book Synopsis Platforms, Markets and Innovation by : Annabelle Gawer
Download or read book Platforms, Markets and Innovation written by Annabelle Gawer and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2011-01-01 with total page 413 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In her pioneering book Platform Leadership (with Michael Cusumano), Gawer gave us the strategy of building coalitions of customers, suppliers, and complementors. Now, she brings together a number of the leading researchers in the area of platform strategy to give us a book that will be a key reference for both practitioners and academics. Adam Brandenburger, New York University, US Annabelle Gawer s collected volume of research shows that a vibrant community of scholars has arisen around platforms and innovation. Each of the chapters is first rate, with top researchers offering some of their latest work. This will be an indispensable book for students of innovation and technology management everywhere. Henry Chesbrough, University of California, Berkeley, US Annabelle Gawer s Platforms, Markets and Innovation is the first serious exploration of the critical but subtle role that platforms play in business, society and our personal lives. As digital technologies penetrate every nook and cranny of the world around us, we rely on platforms to both help us use the new technologies, as well as to organize new markets of innovation that add applications on top of the platforms and make them far more valuable. Dr Gawer s excellent book is designed to help us understand the mysterious nature of platforms. It brings together the insights of twenty-four experts around the world who contributed to the fourteen chapters of the book. Dr Gawer s book is invaluable to anyone trying to understand the nuanced nature of platforms, and their implications for the evolution of innovation in the 21st century. Irving Wladawsky-Berger, IBM Academy of Technology, US The emergence of platforms is a novel phenomenon impacting most industries, from products to services. Industry platforms such as Microsoft Windows or Google, embedded within industrial ecosystems, have redesigned our industrial landscapes, upset the balance of power between firms, fostered innovation and raised new questions on competition and innovation. Annabelle Gawer presents cutting-edge contributions from 24 top international scholars from 19 universities across Europe, the USA and Asia, from the disciplines of strategy, economics, innovation, organization studies and knowledge management. The novel insights assembled in this volume constitute a fundamental step towards an empirically based, nuanced understanding of the nature of platforms and the implications they hold for the evolution of industrial innovation. The book provides an overview of platforms and discusses governance, management, design and knowledge issues. With a multidisciplinary approach, this book will strongly appeal to academics and advanced students in management, innovation, strategy, economics and design. It will also prove an enlightening read for business managers in IT industries.
Book Synopsis Implementing effective remedies for anti-competitive intermediation bias on vertically integrated platforms by : Richard Feasey
Download or read book Implementing effective remedies for anti-competitive intermediation bias on vertically integrated platforms written by Richard Feasey and published by Centre on Regulation in Europe asbl (CERRE). This book was released on 2019-10-24 with total page 62 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report considers the challenges that arise in remedying ‘intermediation bias’ by vertically integrated digital platforms which match the needs of different groups of users so they can transact with each other. Platforms perform this intermediation function by displaying and ranking those services or products which are most relevant to the users’ needs and, in doing so, compete for consumers’ attention. What is intermediation bias? Platforms compete for users’ attention to varying degrees depending on the ease with which users can switch between platforms and their inclination to do so, entry barriers for other platforms, and many other factors. Generally, platforms have an incentive to offer consumers the most relevant matches, because the platforms can then capture part of the value that has been created for both the consumer and the businesses that are being intermediated. However, sometimes platforms may also have incentives to deviate from offering the most relevant matches first and bias the intermediation towards matches that are more profitable to themselves. This concern is especially pronounced in the context of vertically integrated platforms which undertake both the intermediation function and supply services or products in the downstream market and who therefore have the ability to direct users’ attention towards their affiliated services and products, even if rival services or products are more relevant to users’ needs. Such ‘biased intermediation’ may harm consumers, both by providing them with poorer matches on the platform and by distorting competition in the relevant downstream market and, potentially, in the platform market itself. Competition authorities have prosecuted a number of significant cases involving intermediation bias – including the recent Google Shopping case – and it seems likely that further cases will be pursued in the future. It can be very difficult to detect bias in the first place, or to determine the source of any bias that has been detected. Digital platforms use very complex algorithms to perform their intermediation functions and make frequent changes to them. Distinguishing between legitimate changes which improve the quality of matches and those which unfairly bias them can be very difficult since the impact of any individual adjustment can be subtle and the effects can be cumulative. This task may be even more difficult ex post, as competitive conditions may have changed in the meantime. This report does not imply that all vertically integrated platforms engage in biased intermediation, nor does it elaborate on how to detect intermediation bias and theories of harm. Rather, it presupposes that a competent authority, whether a competition authority or a regulatory authority with the power to impose ex-post remedies, has identified intermediation bias and it is necessary to remedy it. The aim of this report is to discuss the approach to remedies in this context. Challenges when remedying intermediation bias The challenge of remedying intermediation bias arises in part because a user’s attention is rivalrous and the selection and ranking of matches must involve giving prominence to some results and demoting or excluding others. Non-discrimination rules of the kind applied in the regulation of vertically integrated firms in network industries would compromise the core sorting function which the platform performs. Other remedies used in network industries, such as those requiring regulated access to upstream inputs, are also inappropriate when rivals in digital markets require equal access to users’ attention rather than to specific factors of production. Effective remedies against intermediation bias must either ensure that the platform no longer has an incentive to engage in biased intermediation by separating ownership of the platform from the entity engaged in the downstream activities, or must ensure that the platform no longer has the ability to produce matches which would harm users of the platform. The need for experimentation We recognise that competition authorities may be reluctant to undertake their own remedy design and may prefer to rely upon proposals submitted by platforms, criticisms by rivals, or benchmarks or quotas which specify outcomes in the downstream market rather than directly addressing bias in the intermediation process itself. This seems unsatisfactory. Instead, we would urge public authorities – whether a competition authority or some other body such as a specialist ‘digital agency’ or another existing regulatory body – to demand access to the same experimental data which the platform itself used when proposing any particular remedy. This means the authority would have the same access to internal data and documents of a firm as it is able to obtain when seeking to establish an abuse. In addition, the authority should be able to direct the platform to run other experiments in order to assess their effect on outcomes. They might even involve their own staff in the experiments being undertaken by the platform (as some financial service regulators now do before authorising new financial products). At the same time, a platform might submit experimental data before making changes to its factor-based mechanisms and obtain a ‘safe harbour’ ruling from the authority in return. We think the sharing of experimental data in this way could significantly improve the quality and effectiveness of remedies for intermediation bias, whilst also providing greater certainty and objectivity for dominant vertically integrated platforms that perform intermediation functions. Such data is commercially sensitive and confidentiality would need to be assured. Experiments of this kind are better suited to assessing the impact of incremental changes than fundamental ones and may not be able to determine whether a particular set of changes would restore downstream market conditions to those which prevailed prior to the abuse, as opposed to those which now prevail. The experiments may impose some additional costs on platforms and should be undertaken only for the specific purpose of remedy appraisal. Such a new approach may require new institutional arrangements and changes to the existing legal framework in order to implement them, and might involve both competition authorities and existing or new regulatory bodies working together in a way that they have not generally done to date. The boundaries between ex ante and ex post functions may be less obvious in the future: designing effective remedies for intermediation bias may require both ex ante assessments before they are introduced and ex post appraisals after implementation. It is likely to be a more iterative and a more collaborative process, informed by the scientific results of experiments, than anything we have seen undertaken by competition authorities to date.
