Why tech regulators need to think like Google

Abstract

As many of the world’s largest companies are platform-based technology companies, there has been a growing push worldwide to regulate these companies to address issues arising from economic, political and communications power. At the same time, their distinctive platform business models raise new challenges to regulators, such as what industries they are in, what problems connect to which regulatory authority, and who has jurisdictional authority and regulatory capacity.

The paper argues that regulators increasingly need to “think like Google”: they need to be able to adopt holistic strategies that can apply across industry silos and different regulatory responsibilities. There is also a need to empower the notion of regulation in the public interest, to challenge the ideational power of tech companies that they are superior stewards of public good to government agencies.