EU Competition Law Goals and the Digital Economy
Ariel Ezrachi
Oxford Legal Studies Research Paper No 17/2018
Ariel Ezrachi, ‘EU Competition Law Goals and the Digital Economy’ (Oxford Legal Studies Research Paper No 17/2018 (6 June 2018))
Abstract
New competition dynamics in the digital economy raise questions as to the normative scope of competition enforcement. The question - ‘Is this a competition problem?’ has become common in the face of new business strategies, new forms of interaction with consumers, the accumulation of data and the use of big analytics. This paper seeks to outline the goals and values advanced by European Competition law, and their application to digital markets. The discussion then moves on to explore the tension between the multitude of goals and economic analysis. It further reflects on the different scope of US antitrust law and the limitations of convergence.