Platform policies in the European Union: Competition and public interest in media markets

Abstract

This article examines which platform policies the European Commission has developed over the last couple of years and whether its policies are taking into account the differences in platform power. We first identify the main structures of platform power. Secondly, we confront the European Commission's policies affecting media and communication platforms with those structures. Thirdly, we discuss whether what the European Commission is doing will make sense in the longer run. We end with some conclusions and recommendations for further research and policy. Our main finding is that the approach of the European Commission cannot live up to expectations, simply because it is too fragmented in terms of tackling the different dimensions of platform power together. Moreover, in the focus on detrimental effects of (some) platforms on competition, public interest issues often remain neglected.