The European Regulation of Online Intermediary Platforms in the Age of the Collaborative Economy

Abstract

Online intermediary platforms impel the creation of value that generates economic growth in the European Single Market. It is essential to establish a regulatory framework that fosters its potential while avoiding the confusion and fragmentation of regulations and the proliferation of contradic- tory sectoral rules at national level. It is therefore needed to order the European Union’s regulatory acquis to which these digital platforms are subject - in areas such as competition, consumer protection, personal data, single market freedoms or network and information security, in order to guarantee its fulfill- ment, to generate confidence and to ensure that all the agents can compete in conditions of equality. Effectiveness is also of great importance. Given the cross-border nature of these platforms, implementation requires the articulation of self-fulfillment mechanisms such as reputational tools and other measures that allow cooperation between platforms and national authorities. This paper reports on the phenomenon, describes the state of the art in several.