By Christian Ritz & Falk Schöning
Germany is about to implement an ambitious new “digital antitrust law” to effectively regulate digital markets, especially focussing on access to data, digital platforms, and antitrust enforcement tools against dominant players. The draft Ministerial bill aims at continuing Germany’s role as a pioneer in the antitrust regulation of digital markets. In a political environment where regulating “Big Tech” has become one of the most prominently discussed topics, the German draft bill is capable of creating legislative facts at a European and international level and to place Germany, if not at the forefront of “Big Tech” in general, at least at the forefront of its regulation. And perhaps in the end, Germany’s “digital antitrust law” – if it proves itself in practice – will become a blueprint for other European and non-European countries.
