Information is Power: Data Use for Platform-Owner Entry

Abstract

I want to inform the heated debate on how gatekeeper platforms may exploit their superior access to data when also being active as a seller on their own marketplace. Article 6(a) in the Digital Markets Act prescribes that gatekeeper platforms should not use any non-public data from third-party businesses on their platform. The consequences of such an obligation are poorly understood, however. Therefore, I build a theoretical model incorporating the role of data for the entry decisions on platforms.