Journal of Legal Research

Journal of Legal Research

The Convergence of Unilateral Anticompetitive Practices and Infringements of Online Users’ Right to Privacy: With Particular Reference to EU Case Law

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Department of Private Law, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
The right to privacy in the digital environment is a fundamental human right, primarily concerned with individuals’ ability to exercise control over their personal data. From a competition law perspective, such data also possess economic value and may confer a competitive advantage. Large digital platforms holding dominant market positions may collect and process users’ personal data in exchange for services offered without monetary payment, sometimes without complying with the requirements governing lawful data processing, including transparency and the need to obtain valid consent where consent is the applicable legal basis. These practices may infringe users’ privacy rights or diminish the level of privacy protection afforded to them. An examination of the common objectives of privacy protection and competition law, including welfare, fairness, individual autonomy, transparency, and the reduction of power and information asymmetries, together with relevant EU decisions and case law, indicates that competition between digital platforms is determined not only by price but also by quality and consumer choice. Privacy protection may therefore constitute a non-price parameter of competition, influencing both service quality and users’ freedom of choice. Given the shared normative foundations of these two areas of law, the article argues that a reduction in privacy protection may amount to a deterioration in service quality or a restriction of user choice. In certain circumstances, such conduct may distort competition and constitute an abuse of a dominant position. Similar privacy-related concerns may also arise in merger control where a concentration threatens to reduce competition over quality or choice.
Keywords

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