Self-regulation of online platform and competition policy challenges: A case study on Go-Jek

Abstract

The growth of the digital market has challenged competition policy in terms of how innovation should be considered. This article deals with the current market development in Indonesia as a showcase for how innovation responds to market demand faster than state regulations. The study focuses on Go-Jek, a technology company that offers a wide range of online services, including transportation, delivery, and mobile payment, by bringing together consumers and service providers; hence, Go-Jek plays a role as an intermediary and at the same time also as an infomediary that collects information from users and shares it with its users. While policy makers and regulators struggle to find the most workable policies and regulations, markets take initiatives to regulate themselves to protect the interests of the contracting parties. Questions remain about the extent to which party interests are balanced out and how self-regulation could meet established public policy. The analysis in this article considers Indonesian competition authority (KPPU) Regulation No. 4. In the European Union (EU), the desire to advocate self-regulation has been emphasized in the EU Agenda on Better Regulation in 2015 by considering “well-designed non-regulatory means” in the policy for better regulation. Taking a lesson from the EU, this article discusses three key issues. First, how and to what extent does self-regulation of online platforms govern transactions being made on the platform. Second, what challenges do self-regulation of online platforms pose to competition. Third, which policies could the government make to deal with the self-regulation of online platforms.