The blueprint for tomorrow’s internet is being drawn up in courtrooms and government offices. This should concern us all.
The future of internet platforms is being increasingly shaped by courtrooms and government offices rather than engineers, warns Dirk Auer of the International Center for Law & Economics.
“The blueprint for tomorrow’s internet is being drawn up in courtrooms and government offices. This should concern us all,” he said.
Recent legal actions may force Apple to allow external payment links, potentially ending its closed iOS model. A U.S. court ruling could also stop Google from paying to be the default search engine, possibly raising smartphone prices. Meta and Amazon face similar challenges, including potential breakups and restructuring.
Europe’s Digital Markets Act has led to restrictions like banning Google Maps links in search results and enforcing app store competition. However, Auer argues these regulations are degrading services and hindering innovation.
“Consumers and businesses have gravitated toward platforms that are relatively closed and tightly controlled,” he noted, adding that courts and regulators lack the expertise to design digital platforms. He urges policymakers to “police harms” without overreaching into platform architecture