Many jurisdictions are now considering introducing ex ante pro-competition regulation for the largest digital platforms. Absolute consistency of approach may be unrealistic, and probably undesirable, given their different legal, political and cultural traditions. However, greater coherency should make regulation more effective, more proportionate, less likely to create unintended harms. This presentation considers the US and EU proposals in particular. It compares and contrasts these two proposals through an economic lens, with a focus on substance rather than legal process and enforcement.

Prof. Amelia Fletcher: Deputy Director at the Centre for Competition Policy, UEA. She is also a Non-Executive Director of the Competition and Markets Authority and a member of the Enforcement Decision Panel at Ofgem. She was recently a member of the HM Treasury-commissioned Digital Competition Expert Panel ("Unlocking digital competition") and also a member of DGComp’s Economic Advisory Group on Competition Policy.