Dominant platforms, gatekeepers, and the future of competition policy
Channel: R Street Institute
Date: 2017-10-31

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Find us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/r-street-institute/ The global economy is increasingly moving online. Can existing legal and policy frameworks cope with changing competitive landscapes in the digital age? Or are adaptations and paradigm shifts necessary in order to adequately protect consumers and competition going forward?

Today's tech giants may seem like juggernauts, but opinion is split over whether they are truly dominant, and in need of regulation, or whether market forces can effectively discipline their behavior. European and other international regulators have taken a more aggressive stance, but the United States, with its consumer-welfare standard, has taken a lighter touch. Many Americans want that to change, though, and for authorities to be more aggressive in regulating competition online, including through Net Neutrality. Calls for changes to competition law have been labeled “hipster antitrust” by some, but others think the existing standards are outdated and need an upgrade.

Can current competition and consumer-protection laws properly account for the impact of network effects, dominant platforms, and the potential for lost innovation? R Street Institute and Mozilla bring together a panel of experts to consider these important questions.
Speakers:

Tad Lipsky
Adjunct Professor, Antonin Scalia Law School

Marianela López-Galdos
Director of Competition & Regulatory Policy, Computer and Communications Industry Association

Chris Riley
Director of Public Policy, Mozilla

Meredith Filak Rose
Policy Counsel, Public Knowledge

Hal Singer (Moderator)
Senior Fellow, George Washington Institute of Public Policy

Tom Struble
Technology Policy Manager, R Street Institute