Legal regulation of competition in online trade and the role of marketplaces as trade administrators

Abstract

Competition is an essential attribute of the capitalist market. The United States has created laws and policies that promote fair competition, preventing monopolistic behaviours. The online trade segment that incorporates bigwigs like Amazon and eBay has not been left out. Federal authorities like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) demand that these companies refrain from anticompetitive practices. The paper aimed to investigate the legal regulation of competition in online trade and the role of marketplaces as trade administrators. Through a well-conducted review of the literature of 20 sources, the articles make several groundbreaking discoveries. The online environment is regulated using policies and laws like the Sherman Antitrust Act, the Consumer Review Fairness Act of 2016 (CRFA), the Clayton Act, and the Antitrust Criminal Penalty Enhancement and Reform Act (ACPERA) of 2004. Furthermore, this research has shown that online marketplaces are instrumental in trade administration through efforts such as enhancing privacy, promoting transactions, and providing a framework for conflict resolution.

Keywords

• Online trade
• competition
• monopoly
• trade administrators
• regulation