Research On Anti-monopoly Regulation On Concentration Of Internet Platforms

In recent years,with the rapid development of the Internet platform economy,the world’s major Internet platforms regard the concentration of operators as an important means to expand their dominant positions.However,the market has formed a "winner-take-all" situation in a short period of time,and great market power is in the hands of the extreme individual Internet platforms,it threatens market competition.Therefore,the concentration of Internet platform operators in various regions has aroused the attention of anti-monopoly law enforcement agencies."Strengthening anti-monopoly and preventing expansion of capital disorderly" is one of the key tasks of China’s current economic work.The development of our country’s platform economy is at a critical period.We should promote fair competition,oppose monopoly,and promote the healthy and sustainable development of the platform economy.Due to the characteristics of Internet platforms that are different from traditional enterprises,such as two-sided markets,indirect network effects,non-neutral prices and data aggregation,the current anti-monopoly law and its supporting rules have limitations in dealing with the situation which the Internet platform implement the concentration of undertakings.Therefore,by studying the characteristics of Internet platforms,it is of great significance to find out that the problems arising from the concentration of Internet platform operators and to propose anti-monopoly regulations.By analyzing the current situation of the concentration of Internet platform operators at home and abroad,this paper summarizes the predicament of our country’s current anti-monopoly laws regulating the concentration of Internet platform operators.There are mainly non-price strategy,"low" competitiveness of start-ups,and data aggregation,which make it difficult for Internet platforms.Applicable to the current filing standards;the free pricing model and the characteristics of the two-sided market make it difficult to define the relevant market;traditional market share factors,killer acquisition and data-driven mergers and acquisitions impact assessment of competition effects;structural remedies are difficult to implement,and behavioral remedies are difficult to supervise;Issues such as insufficient deterrence of punishment.While learning from the foreign anti-monopoly experience of platforms,according to the direction of the latest revision of the Anti-Monopoly Law,the regulations of the Anti-monopoly Guidelines on the Platform Economy Field issued by the Anti-Monopoly Committee of the State Council are detailed and anti-monopoly of the concentration of Internet platform operators.Suggestions on monopoly regulation: Introduce transaction volume and user scale standards as supplements on the basis of turnover standards,and stipulate the pre-declaration obligations of large Internet platforms to supplement the reporting standards for concentration of undertakings;explore new analysis of relevant markets according to the characteristics of Internet platforms defining tools,the definition of the relevant market can be weakened when there is proof of damage;data,innovation damage,and consumer welfare factors are considered when evaluating competition effects;structural remedies are prudently applied,appropriate behavioral remedies are selected in combination with specific cases,and effective the post-assessment system;set the amount of fines reasonably.In order to improve the level of anti-monopoly enforcement by anti-monopoly law enforcement agencies in the platform field,and promote the vigorous development of the platform economy.