Digital audiovisual platforms and competition law

Abstract

One of the most important phenomena in recent decades has undoubtedly been that of digital platforms, especially those in the audiovisual or streaming sphere. The boom they are experiencing generates a wide range of questions and implications in the social, economic and, above all, regulatory spheres. As a result, the various national and EU legislators have tried not only to adapt to the changes implicit in these technological advances, but even to anticipate them. The result of their efforts is embodied in the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act in the form of a Community regulation, with the implications that this entails for the member States of the European Union. However, as mentioned above, the projections triggered by the digital audiovisual platforms sector are not only restricted to the regulatory sphere, but also to the economic and social sphere. It is therefore necessary to analyse the (anti)competitive behaviour of audiovisual technology players in order to observe the consequent beneficial or detrimental effects for the consumer and user.