In the context of the Issues Paper on Digital Ecosystems, Big Data and Algorithms, the AdC is launching today a call for information with the purpose of collecting comments from stakeholders in order to help identify possible barriers to entry and expansion of companies, exclusion strategies, as well as the use of algorithms, namely to monitor and set prices.

The last decade has seen a marked digitalization of the economy. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this digitalization trend, particularly with regard to communication services and distance learning, teleworking and e-commerce.

As part of the analysis, the Authority is launching today a call for information to collect comments from stakeholders, who are invited to respond to the AdC's questions until December 16, 2021.

The Issues Paper prepared by the AdC in 2019 addressed the challenges that the digital transition implies for competition policy and concluded that the digitalization of the economy has fostered the emergence of new business models, centered on digital platforms, leading consumption patterns to change dramatically: in 2018, 94% of Portuguese with internet access had already made at least one online purchase.

However, in digital markets, instead of competition being "just a click away", it may be exclusion that is "just a click away", as incumbent platforms may adopt competitor exclusion strategies based on the exploitation of consumer behavioral biases.