Pro-competition and online safety: A more holistic approach to digital platform regulation

Beatriz Kira

Chapter 4 in Research Handbook on Data, Privacy and Competition Law, 2025, pp 90-112 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter explores the evolving landscape of digital platform regulation, highlighting the interplay between pro-competitive regulation and online safety regulation. It describes the policy concerns that have given rise to these two areas of digital regulation and identifies concerns about their potential conflicts. Drawing on recently adopted legislation from the EU and the UK, the chapter then proposes a three-layer framework for reconciling these regulatory dimensions, focusing on their nature, the substance of obligations, and institutional coordination. First, recognising both pro-competitive and online safety regulations as tools of market governance reveals their shared purpose in shaping digital markets in the public interest. This perspective underscores the need to strike a balance between economic and societal values, presenting both regulations as complementary rather than conflicting forces. Secondly, an examination of the substance of obligations reveals potential synergies, particularly in areas related to platform design, transparency and user empowerment. Third, the chapter underscores the importance of regulators working together effectively, sharing information and establishing mechanisms for cooperation. The proposed framework can be adapted to provide insights to other jurisdictions and to integrate emerging areas of technology regulation, such as AI.

Keywords: Digital platforms; Regulation; Online safety; Competition; Public policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781802202328
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