Free competition in the post-pandemic digital era: The impact on SMEs

Da Silva, Filipe
Núñez Reyes, Georgina

2021-02-22

LC/TS.2021/15

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Introduction .-- I. Theoretical framework for competition and the impact of the digital economy and the COVID-19 pandemic .-- II. Industrial and competition policies aligned with the digital era .-- III. Innovation and monopoly creation .-- IV. Data-opoliesand data protection .-- V. Digital markets and anti-competitive practices .-- VI. The regional perspective: Mexico .-- VII. Conclusion.

This study was conducted in the framework of the United Nations Development Account project “Global Initiative towards Post-COVID-19 Resurgence of the Micro-, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Sector” (under the “Access to markets” cluster), which aims to analyse the actions of competition authorities in Latin America and the Caribbean to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and facilitate their recovery. This document analyses the role of competition policy in the digital economy, with an emphasis on the relation between business strategies, technological innovation and market concentration; as well as the suitability of the current legal and institutional frameworks for competition in Latin American countries for facing the current challenges. It also describes some of the practices used by large technology firms and the way these strategies condition market access for SMEs. It aims to demonstrate need for compatibility between industrial and competition policies and for greater coordination among the agencies responsible for data protection and competition policy and among the different government agencies.

DATA PROTECTION; MONOPOLIES; CORPORATE STRATEGIES; MARKETS; TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS; INDUSTRIAL POLICY; DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY; INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT; EPIDEMICS; ECONOMIC ASPECTS; VIRUSES; COVID-19; COMPETITIVENESS; MEDIUM ENTERPRISES; SMALL ENTERPRISES; PROTECCION DE DATOS; MONOPOLIOS; ESTRATEGIA EMPRESARIAL; POLITICA INDUSTRIAL; INNOVACIONES TECNOLOGICAS; MERCADOS; TECNOLOGIA DIGITAL; DESARROLLO INDUSTRIAL; ASPECTOS ECONOMICOS; EPIDEMIAS; COMPETITIVIDAD; COVID-19; VIRUS; EMPRESAS MEDIANAS; PEQUEÑAS EMPRESAS;