Dr Arianna Andreangeli leads this seminar on Platforms, Competition & the Consumer.

Platforms have become unavoidable in today’s economy, due to the rise of e-commerce and to the need to ensure safe shopping. They have several benefits, ranging from greater consumer choice to the possibility for merchants to attract buyers far and wide. However, platforms can also be pernicious for a healthy competition on the markets they affect. Amazon, Google and Apple are a very good example of platforms that have become a “go-to” for consumers who wish to access certain products. It is therefore vital to ensure that, especially in industries where these intermediaries are becoming the exclusive avenue to purchase many much wanted goods or services, their users are not hindered in their ability to interact with a variety of platforms.

Dr Arianna Andreangeli is a Senior Lecturer in Competition Law at Edinburgh Law School. Her current research revolves around the impact of e-commerce practices on open and competitive markets and on the role of Artificial Intelligence in business behaviour. 

Chaired by Dr Raphaële Xenidis, Lecturer in EU Law

First Broadcast on Wednesday 9 December, 2020.