Digital Competition Law Issues and Interrelated Aspects of Law

The legislative package comprising of the Digital Markets Act was adopted by the European Union along with the Digital Services Act in July 2022. This was partly in response to the rise of star technology firms in recent years and the need for competition law to address wider socio-economic interests such as redistribution of wealth, protection of labour and ensuring fairness. This chapter is an indepth analysis of the Digital Markets Act and relevant case laws and their influence on the European Digital Single Market. The author’s analysis of traditional competition law reveals that it is inadequate when dealing with the challenges of the digital market. Effective eGovernance necessitates a competent legislative framework which allows for meaningful digital economic development and hence the role of a fair and contestable Digital Single Market is essential for eGovernance. The author’s research shows that competition law alone cannot answer all the above challenges and hence, a holistic view of the various legal elements is required so as to meet the digital market challenges of today and the future. For this purpose, the author has examined the confluence of several legal areas, namely intellectual property laws, competition law in the digital environment, human rights law, ethics, morality, public ordre, consumer protection and the necessity for EU wide integration when it comes to digital services. Key words: competition, consumer protection, Digital Markets Act, eGovernance, ethics, digital single market, human rights, intellectual property.