Evaluating the Case for Regulation of Digital Platforms

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to analyze recently released reports and policy papers to evaluate whether regulatory interventions reflect the distinctive features of digital markets and their leading players or whether the main thrust of these proposals for regulatory interventions is just to circumvent the burdens imposed by standard antitrust analysis. My findings suggest that the revival of regulation is likely motivated by an alleged antitrust enforcement failure as a result of an alleged gap in the current antitrust rules, rather than by an authentic market failure.