Practical Competition Policy Implications of Digital Platforms: Taking Schumpeter Seriously
Professor Diane Coyle, Co-Director of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy
The traditional tools of competition policy are difficult to interpret in the context of multi-sided digital platforms. The size and apparent market power of some platforms means competition authorities are facing calls for tougher action. However, both regulatory intervention and anti-trust enforcement will remain controversial until economic analysis provides some tools for a systematic assessment of competition in these markets. A particular analytical and empirical challenge is incorporating the dynamic as well as static effects of platforms' dominance, given the evidently large consumer benefits they provide, and the fact that the growth of digital platforms rests on innovation and competition for the market. (2018)
Personal Data Stores: A new approach to control of online privacy?
The Cambridge Big Data and Trust & Technology Initiatives ran a joint event on exploring the prospects for personal data stores as an approach to data protection and user privacy online. This took the form of a moderated panel discussion, featuring representatives from various personal data stores being developed at Cambridge and elsewhere as well as a more critical perspective and audience questions. (2018)
