In a new working paper, Jana Lasser (IDea_lab, University of Graz) and Vicky Robertson discuss how alternative recommendation algorithms could be implemented as a remedy in antitrust and merger cases in the digital economy. Through four scenarios, they explore how this tool could remedy competition concerns that arise in relation to the quality of digital services, media pluralism, and weak competition in social media and digital news markets. A particular focus lies on how alternative recommendation algorithms can remedy competition concerns that simultaneously pose a threat to liberal democracy. They assess both the design and the monitoring of this complex type of remedy by competition authorities. Their working paper is available here.
