Reassessing Competition Law Enforcement In The Digital Economy
- IJLLR Journal
- Dec 31, 2025
- 1 min read
Arjun CA, Inter University Centre for IPR Studies, CUSAT, Ernakulam, Kerala
ABSTRACT
The way competition plays out in contemporary markets has been drastically changed by the digital economy's explosive growth. Digital platforms, in contrast to traditional industries, thrive on network effects, scalability, and massive data accumulation, giving a small number of tech companies unprecedented market power. This paper examines the relationship between competition law and digital market regulation, emphasising how established legal frameworks often fail to address the complexity of data-driven dominance, algorithmic control, and cross-market leveraging. It examines significant international precedents from a range of legal systems. The paper explores how new regulatory models must strike a balance between innovation and consumer welfare with accountability and transparency, going beyond analysing particular enforcement cases. It contends that ex- post mechanisms alone are inadequate to address digital monopolies that can solidify their position through rapid user acquisition and data integration. To guarantee open markets, safeguard consumer choice, and advance technological justice, a forward-thinking, ex ante strategy that supplements traditional competition law is crucial. In the end, the study emphasises the necessity of a more flexible and dynamic legal framework to protect competition in a world economy that is becoming more and more digitalised.
