As technology develops and retail increasingly moves online, we are observing a rapid development of competition law enforcement in the vertical restraints arena. Old law is being applied in new and fast-changing situations. Issues include resale price maintenance via algorithmic tools, territorial restraints via geo-blocking (territorial restraints), online sales restrictions and price discrimination.

In addition, online platforms raise difficult questions where a platform acts both as a supplier of services to smaller retailers but also as a competitor (for example, the recent Amazon investigation in the European Union, and investigations into platforms in Australia and Japan). This panel will address these issues in the online retail world.