Prologue: Algorithmic Antitrust—A Primer

Abstract

The impact of algorithms in our daily lives is ubiquitous. And the impact of algorithms in the competitive environment within which firms operate and consumers shop is equally ubiquitous. Indeed, in the age of Big Data and technological disruptions, algorithms rank search results, help process information and steer prices. The application of antitrust policies to algorithm-driven companies has given rise to what can be referred as “algorithmic antitrust.” This chapter provides an overview of the key antitrust implications of algorithms with a predominantly European perspective. The approach aims avoiding both excessively negative portrayal of the effects of algorithms on competition—since many antitrust concerns rarely materialize—without overlooking the specific and convincing competition issues raised by enforcing antitrust laws to algorithm-driven companies. Algorithmic antitrust in general, and in Europe in particular, deserves particular scrutiny. Without resorting to slogans and catchy answers, this chapter maps out the field before other authors delve into specific topics in the subsequent chapters of this book.