Exploitation of consumer decision-making and how to address it: Lessons from past demand-side interventions

In a number of recent antitrust cases, the authorities’ concerns have centred on firms’ ability to distort and exploit the behaviour of consumers to their own ends. Example include:

the recent EU Google infringement decision, which related to Google's manipulation of its search results, aware that this diverted consumers towards its own shopping comparison service;
the ongoing EU Google Android case, which focuses on the requirement that the Search app and the Google Chrome browser be loaded onto Android phones by default, exploiting the natural inertia of consumers towards trying alternatives;
similar concerns in relation to the Microsoft/LinkedIn merger, which led to commitments being given in order to gain EU approval; and
the ongoing Bundeskartellamt antitrust investigation into Facebook, which is grounded in a concern that people may feel pressurised into signing up...