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On the need of ex ante regulation of Tech Giants under Chilean Competition Law
Authors
-
Gonzalo Pérez Páez
Profesional Independiente
https://orcid.org/0009-0005-7064-0585
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Abstract
The debate over the desirability or necessity of implementing ex ante regulation of digital platforms and Big Tech is currently ongoing. This article examines the feasibility and desirability of implementing an ex ante in Chile regime inspired by the European Digital Markets Act, in light of the comparative experiences of the European Union and the United States. Based on a review of doctrinal and regulatory sources, the article identifies the main structural characteristics of digital platform markets, the risks they pose to competition, and the regulatory responses that have emerged in this regard. On the one hand, the European Union, in addition to an aggressive ex post approach toward dominant technology firms, has opted for a preventive regulatory framework that imposes specific obligations on so-called gatekeepers; on the other hand, the United States has remained faithful to the antitrust tradition of ex post enforcement. This article argues that, to date, there is insufficient empirical evidence to justify a substantive reform of Chilean competition law, as the existing framework provides sufficiently broad tools to address the challenges posed by the digital economy. It concludes that strengthening effective enforcement requires increasing the speed of investigations and proceedings before competition authorities, as well as providing them with greater resources.
Keywords:
Competition law , big tech , digital platforms , regulation , ex ante regulationReferences
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