On 17 February 2020, an informal group of 20 companies and trade associations published the following ‘Platform Fairness Principles’, to which they believe globally dominant platforms should adhere in order to ensure fair competition and consumer choice online:
- Fair competition
- No self-preferencing
- Real consumer choice
- Freedom of communications with users
- Access to data about users
- Transparency
The Platform Fairness Principles aim to frame the policy debate in Brussels about globally dominant platforms which have become “gatekeepers”, engaging in unfair practices and tilting the playing field in their own favour. Such conduct is harming competition, innovation and consumers in Europe. The Principles are aimed at providing direction to the European Commission as it develops its new digital agenda.
The principles can be downloaded from here