Unravelling the Media Freedom Act proposal: Ambitious yet underwhelming?

On 16 September, the European Commission (“Commission”) published its much-anticipated proposal for a Media Freedom Act (“MFA”). The proposed MFA is an ambitious initiative. It includes rules that would apply to all actors of the media ecosystem (Member States, broadcasters, press publishers, on-demand players, online platforms). It also seeks to address several complex issues which have been facing … Continue reading Unravelling the Media Freedom Act proposal: Ambitious yet underwhelming?

Google’s latest attempts to squeeze app developers in the face of regulation: When principles and coherence no longer matter

As the readers of this blog know, app developers selling digital content have been unhappy for many years with Apple’s App Store policies, which force them to use its in-app payment solution (“IAP) and charges them a 30% commission, which is reduced to 15% in limited circumstances. These policies led Apple into trouble in the … Continue reading Google’s latest attempts to squeeze app developers in the face of regulation: When principles and coherence no longer matter

Amazon/iRobot: The flywheel spins once more

It was reported last week that the US Federal Trade Commission has started investigating Amazon’s $1.7 billion acquisition of iRobot, the maker of Roomba smart vacuum cleaners. It seems to us that the UK and EU authorities will also have jurisdiction to investigate. Why should anyone (apart from iRobot’s shareholders) care about a large retailer … Continue reading Amazon/iRobot: The flywheel spins once more

Designating large platforms under the DMA and the DSA: Comparing apples and oranges? 

The Digital Markets Act (“DMA”) and the Digital Services Act (“DSA”) will soon start to apply. Broadly speaking, both instruments have the same objective, which is to address concerns arising from the increasing reliance on online platforms. However, despite being presented as parts of the same “package”, the DSA and the DMA do not have many similarities because they … Continue reading Designating large platforms under the DMA and the DSA: Comparing apples and oranges? 

Antitrust is turning its eye to gaming

Last week, I spoke at the Video Games Bar Association’s annual summit which took place at devcom in Cologne, Germany. The event confirmed to me that gaming is where the innovative technologies of the future are in many ways already a reality today. It was my contention at the conference that competition law is turning … Continue reading Antitrust is turning its eye to gaming