电子商务平台“二选一”行为的法律性质与规制

Legal Regulation of “Choosing One from Two”Behavior of E-commerce Platform

电子商务平台经营者实施"二选一"行为的根本目的在于实现平台内经营者或用户只和自己进行独家交易,排除其与自己的竞争对手进行交易的可能,实现对市场的不合理独占。这种行为会限制竞争,给平台内经营者造成巨大损失,最终会损害消费者的利益,使消费者个人信息保护面临威胁,导致并加剧数据垄断风险。而当数据信息成为新的市场基础设施,数据垄断就会反过来从根本上损害市场竞争。对"二选一"行为性质的认定中,应当明确接受免费服务的网络用户也属于消费者,将"二选一"行为主体的市场地位作为选择法律规制路径的重要依据,在认定行为主体是否具备市场支配地位时,应以"二选一"平台的核心业务界定相关市场并评估其行为对竞争的影响,并应结合"网络竞争"和"平台经营"的特点综合认识"二选一"行为。规制这种"二选一"行为,《电子商务法》《反不正当竞争法》《反垄断法》三部法律均有适用空间:以"二选一"情节的轻重和法律责任的轻重作为依据,依次适用《电子商务法》和《反不正当竞争法》;而当前两部法律所规定的处罚力度仍不足以威慑平台经营者时,再适用法律责任最重的《反垄断法》。

The fundamental purpose for e-commerce platform operators to implement the "choosing one from two" behavior is to make the users in the platform do exclusive transactions with platform operators, and exclude the possibility of dealings with the competitors, and realize the unreasonable monopoly of the market. This kind of behavior will restrict competition, bring about huge losses to users in the platform, and ultimately damage the interests of consumers. It also puts consumers personal information protection facing threats, causes and intensifies the risk of data monopoly. Once data information becomes a new market infrastructure, data monopoly will in turn fundamentally damage market competition. As to the identification of the nature of "choosing one from two" behavior, it should be clear that network users who accept free services are also consumers. The market position of the "choosing one from two" behavior subject is an important basis for choosing the legal regulation path. When determining whether the behavior subject has a dominant market position, the core business of the platform should be used to define the relevant market and evaluate its behavior against competition. We should combine the characteristics of "network competition" and "platform operation" to comprehensively understand "choosing one from two" behavior. To regulate "choosing one from two" behavior, E-commerce Law, Anti Unfair Competition Law and Anti-monopoly Law all have applicable space: Based on the circumstances and legal liability of "choosing one from two" behavior, E-commerce law and Anti Unfair Competition Law will be applied in turn. However, when the punishment provided by the two laws is still not enough to deter the "choosing one from two" behavior, Anti-Monopoly Law which stipulates the toughest legal liability should be applied.