The rise of the digital economy has changed fundamentally how competition works in many markets. It has resulted in the introduction of new products, new business models—and, concomitantly, new anticompetitive and otherwise harmful business practices. The emergence of a powerful ‘platform economy’ thus creates novel challenges for regulators, who must now negotiate the often indistinct line between encouraging innovation while avoiding ultimately destructive business behaviour. Competition agencies, especially, are faced with delicate policies choices regarding a perceived need to adapt, expand or even depart entirely from the established antitrust framework in pursuit of ‘fair’ outcomes in fast-moving digital markets. Understanding the legal regulation of competition within the platform economy, and in particular how such markets can work better in the interests of all consumers, is a central research interest of many members of the LSE Law, Technology and Society group.
Our work in the area of Competition and Platforms includes both contributions to important policy debates and more typical academic research. Members of the Department have advised on issues related to competition policy within the platform economy for a diverse range of interested agencies, including the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, the European Commission, the US Federal Trade Commission and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. Members also engage on a regular basis in more public debates on these questions, from guest lecturing and conference participation, to commentary in media outlets, and podcasting. Academic work published in this area includes Dr Orla Lynskey’s “Family ties: The intersection between data protection and competition in EU law” 54 Common Market Law Review 11 (2017) (with Francisco Costa-Cabral), Professor Pablo Ibáñez Colomo’s “Restrictions on Innovation in EU Competition Law” 41 European Law Review 201 (2016), and Dr Niamh Dunne’s “Competition Law (and Its Limits) in the Sharing Economy” in Cambridge Handbook on Law and Regulation of the Sharing Economy (2018). Professor Andrew Murray’s edited volume on EU Regulation of E-Commerce: A Commentary (2017) (with Arno Lodder) provides an overview of the broader regulatory framework within the platform economy. For those interested in keeping up-to-date with cutting-edge legal debates on these topics, moreover, Professor Ibáñez Colomo’s blog, Chillin’ Competition, provides a lively, light-hearted but also rigorous review of on-going developments in the area of competition law and platforms.
Staff in the Competition and Platforms Group
Dr Niamh Dunne
Professor Pablo Ibáñez Colomo
Dr Martin Husovec
Dr Orla Lynskey
Dr Philipp Paech
Dr Andrew Scott