International Seminar discusses matters in the digital market

On 18 and 19 November 2024, the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) and the school of the Brazilian Federal Prosecution Services (ESMPU) held the International Seminar on Regulation and Competition in the Digital Market 2024. The event gathered specialists to discuss the main economic and legal challenges of regulating the digital environment, focusing on the digital payment market and new technologies that transform businesses.

During the opening ceremony, the Prosecutor Waldir Alves, representative of the Federal Prosecution Services (MPF) at CADE, was the coordinator of the seminar. He highlighted the importance of the discussion, since digital payments have become a reality and it is in constant evolution. “This topic shows us the need of this integration and reflection on the consequences of this technology in contracts, in addition to its tax and criminal repercussions. We live in a digital reality”, he claimed.

Mr Alves also mentioned that, for a fair competition, “having good concentration may often be healthy, it is also convenient and beneficial for the consumers”, he stated. However, the prosecutor warned about the risks related to excessive concentration, which may harm the market, such as hindering competition.“There is also unhealthy concentration, which is opposite to the legislation”, he emphasised.

The seminar agenda addressed crucial topics, such as the effects of Law 12865/2013, which regulated the digital payment system in Brazil, and the implications of killer acquisitions in the IT sector, which occur when big companies acquire promising start-ups to reduce competition and control the market.

During the event, the experts also discussed digital competition, the performance of big platforms, and the challenges that artificial intelligence poses in the market.

The panellists discussed how the companies have used these tools to optimise their transactions and also warned about the risks of the concentration of market power in a few platforms.

During the closing session, Alexandre Barreto, Superintendent General of CADE, highlighted the importance of the seminar to improve competition defence policies in Brazil. According to Mr Barreto, the event contributed to a more balanced digital environment by providing valuable perspectives on a market that is constantly changing. “The topic chosen was a great pick, since it allowed us to have interesting discussions in the last two days. It is really important to expand this topic among different specialists  who work in the enforcement and study of competition law”, he stated.

Mr Alves also highlighted the importance of the topic addressed in the event, especially the valuable academic contributions and deep reflections shared during the panels.

He also emphasised that gathering specialists from different areas not only promoted an in-depth analysis of the challenges faced, but it also provided an environment for essential discussions on the future of digital markets. “Our main goal was to make this rewarding discussion open to the public. We have influenced not only the way digital markets promote democratisation, but also how they may be used for illegal objectives”, he said.

The Seminar is available on CADE’s YouTube channel and can be accessed at any moment.

Access here for the1st and 2nd day.