Smartphones have become central to our digital lives. We use them to connect with our friends and family, and to access information, entertainment and markets. With competition enforcers increasingly intervening in digital markets and regulatory authorities examining many of the issues that can arise in these markets, it is vital to understand how the smartphone
Today, Mr Justice Marcus Smith, a High Court judge, has awarded damages to BritNed in the first cartel damages case to reach judgment in the UK. BritNed was found to have paid a higher price for a submarine cable system as a result of a power cables cartel in operation between 1999 and 2009. Oxera’s
Data is everywhere in the online world, be it as a means of exchange for services, an input for customisation or machine learning, or as variables that feed into matching algorithms. Data has gained increasing attention from academics and policymakers. Instances of data misuse—such as the Cambridge Analytica case in early 2018—brought to the public’s
The influence of digital platforms has expanded significantly over the past decade. Some of today’s largest companies and best-known brands did not even exist 20 years ago. The innovative products, services and commercial opportunities that these digital power houses provide have become central to many aspects of modern-day life. While this might lead authorities to
The digital revolution has led to a significant growth in companies’ ability to capture, store and analyse data about their customers, competitors and the wider world. Increasingly, companies are using this information to develop algorithms that set prices for them. But how might the automation of pricing through algorithms affect competitive outcomes in markets, and
Oxera Consulting LLP announces the opening today of its Paris office, to be headed up by Partner, Pascale Déchamps We continue our expansion in Europe with the opening of our office in Paris, adding a seventh location to complement our network of European offices in Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, London, Oxford and Rome. Pascale Déchamps will
In March 2018, the Mayor of London set out the transport challenges for London as including congestion and air pollution, alongside road safety and a lack of physical activity among Londoners. To support the objectives of reducing congestion and improving air quality, Transport for London is consulting on two changes to transport policy in London.
Today Citizens Advice issued a super-complaint to the Competition and Markets Authority about the ‘loyalty penalty’. According to Citizens Advice, firms are ‘routinely punishing their customers simply for being loyal’, which disproportionately affects vulnerable customers such as older people. Who is affected? The super-complaint focuses on five retail markets in two sectors: financial services (home
In March 2018 the Court of Amsterdam issued a verdict in a long-running abuse of dominance case involving funda, the largest property website in the Netherlands. The Court found funda to be dominant, but did not consider the company’s discriminatory listing of rival estate agents to be distortive of competition. Dr Gunnar Niels, Partner at Oxera and court expert in the case, describes how this makes for an interesting comparison with Google Shopping and other competition cases involving online platforms
Choosing the right energy mix is a hot topic for many countries around the world. In the UK, for example, the government appears committed to supporting new nuclear capacity; however, sceptics point to the declining cost of renewables as a reason why this commitment may be misplaced. What is the economic case for new nuclear capacity, given the objectives of security of supply, affordability, and decarbonisation?