数字平台管制:公共性理论的反思与经济管制的适用

Regulation of Digital Platforms:Reflection on the Publicness Theory and Application of Economic Regulation

以公共承运人、新公用事业为代表的公共性理论希望改变反垄断法实施不力的局面,通过赋予特殊义务来强化对数字平台市场力量的约束。公共性理论历史悠久,但基本概念模糊不清,难以明确管制范围;所主张的非歧视、普遍服务等管制义务,在没有结构性剥离、价格管制、准入限制等措施的配合下,难以独立实现;基于平台服务的性质来实施管制,还会造成过度的市场干预。以自然垄断理论为内核的经济管制不仅定义清晰,而且将管制范围限定在具有自然垄断性质的平台,更适合数字平台快速发展的特点。实现数字平台的经济管制,需要借鉴传统经济管制中成熟的管制理论和实践经验,尤其要对具有自然垄断属性的平台功能进行结构性剥离,并对剥离后的自然垄断平台附加互操作义务。

The publicness theory,represented by common carriers and new public utilities,aims to change the situation of the ineffective implementation of the antitrust law and restrain the market power of digital plaforms by imposing special obligations.Although the publicness theory has a long history,its concepts are vague,which makes it difficult to define the scope of its regulation.The regulatory obligations it advocates,such as non-discrimination and universal service,prove challenging to independently implement in the absence of structural divestiture,price regulation,enter regulation and other measures.The regulation based on the nature of platform services also risks excessive market intervention.Economic regulation,on the other hand,not only is clearly defined but also limits the scope of regulation to platforms characterized by natural monopoly.As such,it is more suitable for the regulation of rapidly developing digital platforms.To realize the economic regulation of digital platforms,it is necessary to draw on the mature regulatory theories and practical experiences of traditional economic regulation.It is necessary especially to structurally separate platform functions with natural monopoly attributes,and impose interoperable obligations on platforms after separation.