Big Tech, Small Tech, and the Data Economy : What Role for EU Competition Law?

[摘要] What role does, or should competitionlaw play in the data economy? The proliferation of data intodifferent fields of the economy presents a tremendousopportunity for economic growth. Data permits companies toimprove the quality of the products and services that theyoffer to consumers. It also enables companies to reducetheir costs, increase their efficiency, and identify newbusiness opportunities. Reliance on data can thereforeenhance the competitiveness of firms and the economy moregenerally. However, there is a concern that the data economyhas given rise to increasingly concentrated markets, where asmall number of firms has gained disproportionate marketpower. Can the enforcement of competition law promote thedevelopment of a competitive data economy? This articleexamines the competition policy that the European Unionshould adopt for the data economy generally and, morespecifically, for the Industry 4.010 the comingdigitalization of the manufacturing process and of theindustry more broadly. It explains that weakening theenforcement of competition law to facilitate the developmentof EU champions would be a misguided policy for the EuropeanUnion. A less competitive internal market, which wouldnecessarily result from a weaker enforcement of EUcompetition law, is unlikely to increase the competitivenessof EU firms in the global arena.

[发布日期] 2019-12-30 [发布机构] World Bank, Washington, DC

[学科分类] 社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

[关键词] COMPETITION POLICY;DIGITAL ECONOMY;TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION;ENFORCEMENT;ANTITRUST LAW