THE RISE OF DATA AS MARKET POWER IN COMPETITION LAW

Data has become an integral source of market power in digital economies of scale, especially for companies such as Google, Amazon etc., who use data to enhance AI models, predict consumer behaviour and eventually raise their position in the market and create barriers for other companies to enter the market. This change in data-driven markets have challenged the traditional competition law. At the same time, data is not inherently harmful or dangerous as it provides us with information, innovation and improves efficiency. However, it may also create a disadvantage if companies use the data in an unfair manner to restrict consumer choice. Thus, competition law should examine how the data is gathered, merged with other data, and used in practice, because these actions can either support fair competition or harm it.