Dutch Watchdog Plans New Guidelines For Platforms

On Tuesday the Dutch consumer and competition regulator ACM announced it’s working on new guidelines for online platforms. Online platforms, such as marketplaces, search engines, and booking sites, need more clarity about how to interpret the Platform-to-Business Regulation, reported the regulator.

The ACM has already started drawing up guidelines in which it will clarify the rules that platforms and search engines must meet. And a bill has been sent to the Dutch Council of State, which proposes to charge ACM with enforcement of these rules.

“In our market study, we have found that, in practice, the open standards in the P2B Regulation are interpreted in different ways. By issuing guidelines, we are able to provide clarity about how ACM, as the regulator enforcing these rules, will interpret these standards, thereby clarifying to platforms what they need to do, and ensuring that their business customers know what their rights are”, explains Manon Leijten, Member of the Board of ACM. ACM aims to publish the guidelines this fall for public consultation.

Businesses are increasingly dependent on platforms and online search engines for reaching their customers. That is why it is important that platforms and online search engines give clear and up-to-date information to businesses that wish to use their services. If ACM is charged with enforcement of the P2B Regulation in the Netherlands, ACM will be able to protect businesses if platforms give them incomplete information about the ranking of products and services on the platform.

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