An Analysis Of The Challenges Posed By Digital Market Platforms To Traditional Competition Law Frameworks
- IJLLR Journal
- 2 hours ago
- 1 min read
Vaishnavi Chandra, Christ University
ABSTRACT
The emergence of digital market platforms has fundamentally altered the landscape of competition law, exposing the inadequacies of frameworks designed for traditional markets. Unlike conventional business models, digital platforms thrive on network effects, data-driven strategies, and multi- sided interactions that complicate the assessment of market power and consumer harm. Traditional tools, such as the Small but Significant and Non- Transitory Increase in Price (SSNIP) test, are often ineffective in markets where services are offered for free, but monetized through user data.
This has forced regulators and courts to reconsider long-established doctrines and adapt statutory provisions to account for new forms of dominance and exclusionary conduct. Landmark cases across jurisdictions—including United States v. Microsoft, the European Commission’s Google Shopping and Android decisions, and the Competition Commission of India’s rulings against Google and Amazon—illustrate how authorities are reinterpreting antitrust principles in the digital age. While the United States has relied heavily on litigation, the European Union has adopted proactive ex-ante regulation through the Digital Markets Act, and India is evolving through amendments and case-specific enforcement. The comparative experience highlights the urgent need for dynamic, context-sensitive legal frameworks that balance innovation with fair competition. The purpose of undertaking this inquiry is to critically evaluate whether existing competition law frameworks can effectively respond to the challenges posed by digital platforms.
Keywords: Digital Platforms, Competition Law, Market Dominance, Network Effects, Regulatory Frameworks.
