Enormous as they are, the gains that appeared with the emergence of the Internet
have unavoidably been confronted with constantly arising new challenges. Besides
others are the issues related to competition on the Internet. The growing digital
industries offer platforms which open the gates for new ways of trading, marketing,
developing business and last, but not least, for competing. Yet, the Internet may be
blurring the trading borders, but it should not be restricting competition. Quite to
the contrary, a digital environment should promote competition, not distort it.
Platforms that act as intermediaries are, on the one hand, good for that purpose.
Yet, on the other hand, competition on the Internet takes place in the industries
featured by network effects, rendering the so-called “platform competition” a
complex and thus not a one-sided concept.