The new EU rulebook for online platforms: How to get it right, who will it impact and what else is needed?

Abstract

Online platforms are drivers of innovation, growth, employment, creativity and information exchange. But new advantages can also bring new risks, or further entrench existing issues. Europe’s current rules have enabled the birth and growth of these companies, and of the free and open Internet as we know it. But they have not been designed to anticipate the challenges brought about by the growth of the digital economy, such as the spread of disinformation, and they are not fully adapted to the nature of competition in the digital markets. As the heart of its ambitious digital agenda, the EU is proposing new regulatory frameworks to maintain and improve its competitiveness, innovation and growth. This approach aims to protect its market from the side effects of digital markets dominated by large non-EU tech companies which, in some respects, are shielded from the rules of the game that the EU wants to set. It also aims to protect citizens and democracy. This is clearly a time to act, and a time to reform. It is also a time to strengthen its position: the EU has other battles and priorities that it must face along the way.