APEC EXPERTS DISCUSSED THE SPECIFICS OF REGULATING ONLINE-PLATFORMS

FAS representatives shared experience of antimonopoly control over digital markets in Russia

On 7 - 9 May 2019, APEC meeting on “Competition Policy for Regulating Online Platforms in the APEC region” took place in Mexico City, Mexico.

FAS representatives discussed approaches to antimonopoly regulation of online-platforms and digital markets with their foreign colleagues from the competition authorities of Canada, China, Chile, Mexico, Papua – New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore, the USA and Vietnam.

The parties considered various approaches to regulating digital markets, economic analysis of multisided markets, network effects and the performance specifics of digital markets and platforms.

Stanislav Kotelnikov, Head of the Information Technologies Unit at FAS Department for Regulating Communications and Information Technologies, informed the colleagues from the competition authorities of APEC economies about the specifics of Russian antimonopoly body considering the case against “Google” and FAS concept on pre-installing applications (https://fas.gov.ru/news/26844), based on the practices developed in the course of the case consideration. The speaker also discussed the amendments on digital markets drafted by FAS to be added to the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition”.

Soslanbek Kardanov, an advisor at the Methodology and Practice Unit, FAS Department for Control over Public and Municipal Information Systems, highlighted the concerns and challenges facing the Federal Antimonopoly Service exercising antimonopoly control over the information systems of various authorities in the Russian Federation.

The reports made by the representatives of Russian Competition Authority and FAS experience in regulating digital platforms and public information systems sparked profound interest of the meeting participants.

Deputy Head of FAS Department for International Economic Cooperation, Andrey Yunak commented: “Regulation of online-platforms is especially pressing and timely, and is put on the agenda of numerous organizations around the world, including APEC. Participating in such events gives a possibility to discuss the issues facing our foreign colleagues as well as share the experience of Russian antimonopoly authority investigating cases associated with violations on digital markets”.