Antitrust enforcement and competition policy in the digital economy is high on the agenda of authorities and policymakers. The distinctive features of digital markets and the strategic role played by large platforms apparently require a rethinking of the antitrust regime. Several reform proposals point to the need to integrate the antitrust toolkit with ex ante measures since there is a risk that ex post enforcement would be too slow to successfully keep markets competitive and contestable. The aim of this paper is to investigate whether the invoked regulatory approach reflects the distinctive structural features of digital markets or whether it is just an enforcement short-cut.

数字经济中的反垄断执法和竞争政策是当局和政策制定者的重要议程。数字市场的鲜明特征和大型平台所发挥的战略作用显然需要重新思考反垄断制度。一些改革建议指出需要将反垄断工具包与事前措施结合起来，因为事后执法可能会太慢，无法成功保持市场的竞争力和可竞争性。本文的目的是调查所援引的监管方法是否反映了数字市场的独特结构特征，或者它是否只是执法捷径。