Is there a need for platform neutrality regulation in the EU?

被引:16
作者
Kraemer, Jan [1 ]
Schnurr, Daniel [2 ]
机构
[1] Univ Passau, Chair Internet & Telecommun Business, Dr Hans Kapfinger Str 12, D-94032 Passau, Germany
[2] Univ Passau, Res Grp Data Policies, Dr Hans Kapfinger Str 12, D-94032 Passau, Germany
关键词
Online platforms; Discrimination; Prominence; Vertical integration; Neutrality obligations; Data neutrality; Regulation; Competition policy; Internet governance; SEARCH; PROMINENCE; POWER;
D O I
10.1016/j.telpol.2018.06.004
中图分类号
G2 [信息与知识传播];
学科分类号
05 ; 0503 ;
摘要
Motivated by the policy discussion in the EU whether to impose non-discrimination obligations for dominant online platforms, we analyse whether such regulation is warranted from an economic point of view. Our contribution is threefold. First, across several platform contexts, we identify (i) (paid) prominence of some third parties over others and (ii) the favouring of a platform's integrated services over independent entities as common discriminatory conducts of online platforms. Second, within this scope, we review the economic literature and find that discrimination in the form of paid prominence may often be in the interest of consumers. However, smaller or low-quality content providers are likely to be worse off, which gives rise to concerns regarding dynamic efficiency and long-term variety in those markets. Additional problems may arise if platform operators are vertically integrated with content providers. Third, based on these theoretical insights, we recommend that EU policy makers should not adopt a neutrality regulation for platforms prematurely. Instead, we recommend to impose new proportionate transparency rules for dominant platforms in order to facilitate the identification of actual misconduct and legal enforcement.
引用
收藏
页码:514 / 529
页数:16
相关论文
共 57 条
  • [21] Intermediaries and consumer search
    Chen, Yongmin
    Zhang, Tianle
    [J]. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATION, 2018, 57 : 255 - 277
  • [22] Paid Placement: Advertising and Search on the Internet
    Chen, Yongmin
    He, Chuan
    [J]. ECONOMIC JOURNAL, 2011, 121 (556) : F309 - F328
  • [23] Copenhagen Economics, 2015, ONL INT IMP EU EC
  • [24] de Comiere A., 2017, WORKING PAPER
  • [25] Integration and search engine bias
    de Corniere, Alexandre
    Taylor, Greg
    [J]. RAND JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS, 2014, 45 (03) : 576 - 597
  • [26] Dewenter Ralf., 2016, Review of economics, V67, P209, DOI DOI 10.1515/R0E-2015-1010
  • [27] Design of Search Engine Services: Channel Interdependence in Search Engine Results
    Edelman, Benjamin
    Lai, Zhenyu
    [J]. JOURNAL OF MARKETING RESEARCH, 2016, 53 (06) : 881 - 900
  • [28] Engadget, 2017, IOS 11 COULD US IPHO
  • [29] European Commission, 2017, COM, P228
  • [30] European Commission, 2004, COMM CONCL MICR INV