Digital platforms and their impact on the competitive environment

Анотація

The article examines the specific features of digital platform functioning and their impact on the competitive environment in the context of the digital transformation of the economy. It is substantiated that the rapid development of the digital economy has contributed to the emergence of a new type of business entity – digital platforms, which have become key intermediaries between producers, consumers, and service providers.

The purpose of the article is to investigate the characteristics of digital platforms and analyze their influence on the competitive environment. The study employs both general scientific and special research methods, including analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, comparison, generalization, a systems approach, and statistical analysis.

The key characteristics of digital platforms include multi-sided market structures, network effects, the use of large-scale data, business model scalability, low marginal costs, and a high degree of user dependence on platform ecosystems. The study identifies the major threats to competition, including increasing market concentration, the use of data as a source of market power, the acquisition of potential competitors, and restrictions on access to digital markets. The necessity of adapting state competition policy instruments to the specific features of the digital economy and strengthening antitrust control over the activities of large digital platforms is substantiated in order to minimize the negative economic consequences arising from the deterioration of the competitive environment.

It is concluded that digital platforms are an important driver of innovation and economic efficiency; however, their growing market power creates new challenges for ensuring effective competition. The further development of digital markets requires the improvement of competition regulation mechanisms, the development of new approaches to assessing platform market power, and the formation of a balanced state competition policy aimed at supporting innovation and protecting an effective competitive environment.