Alternative Recommendation Algorithms as an Antitrust Remedy in Digital (Democracy) Cases

In digital markets, remedies are frequently seen as the weak point in EU competition law cases. In this contribution, we focus on one particular instrument that may be able to remedy certain competition concerns in digital platform markets: alternative recommendation algorithms. Through four scenarios, we explore how alternative recommendation algorithms could remedy competition concerns that arise in relation to the quality of digital services, media pluralism, and weak competition in social media and digital news markets. We assess both the design and the monitoring of this complex type of remedy by competition authorities.