No Need for Internet-Specific Regulations To Address Competition, Privacy, Says ITIF Report

Internet marketplace platforms like Airbnb and eBay don’t need their own special regulations to address concerns such as competition, privacy and employment opportunities, said an Information Technology and Innovation Foundation report, an ITIF news release said Monday. “Regulators already have the authority to address these and other possible harms,” the release said. “Where we once had town-square bazaars and village matchmakers we now have Internet platforms like Etsy and Tinder,” said ITIF Senior Fellow Joseph Kennedy, who wrote the report. “Online marketplaces are growing quickly because the Internet reduces costs, scales easily, and is available anywhere, any time,” ITIF said. “It is important for policymakers to recognize that some Internet platforms have significant market share only because by doing so they maximize value for consumers,” the release said. “Are we better off with three different ‘Facebooks’ or ‘Twitters’ or just one? Clearly in these cases one large network is better than three smaller ones,” said ITIF President Robert Atkinson. “When looking at antitrust issues, market share has traditionally been the most important indicator of abuse,” Atkinson said. “But for Internet platforms, we can no longer use this old lens. Larger market share is usually a reflection of superior total economic and consumer value for networks.” ITIF said Internet platforms pose no bigger privacy risk than traditional platforms and “there is no need for special privacy policies applying just to platforms.”