Antitrust and data privacy protection -Part 2

However, from the perspective of its own and market limitations, the implementation of antitrust measures has an important effect on privacy protection, but it is not a perfect solution. First, there are three main limitations of its own: (1) Huge sunk costs need to be invested in the early stage; (2) Lack of effective supporting laws and regulations for follow-up support; (3) Non-monopoly companies may slip through the net. Second, from the perspective of market limitations, on the one hand, since the Internet market is a bilaterally open market, the provision of related services is inseparable from user data. Increasing competition will make companies need to use more data to gain a competitive advantage, driving them to carry out data infringement. On the other hand, for users, due to the concealment of data acquisition, cognitive limitations, and excessive sensitivity to product prices, it is difficult for users to choose a company with a higher degree of privacy protection due to sufficient competition.

It is precisely because of the limitations of antitrust measures themselves and market competition that it is difficult to achieve the effect of enhancing privacy protection only through antitrust laws. More effective comprehensive measures are urgently needed to adapt to market development and the general public demand.