The pervasive role of digital platforms

This article analyzes the pervasive role of digital platforms in the contemporary economy, illustrating their shared characteristics – including high fixed costs, network effects, two-sided market structures, and intensive use of data and algorithms – and the ways they have transformed sectors such as news media, commerce, tourism, audio-video streaming, and online dating. These platforms operate in global markets, enabling consumption patterns that were previously difficult or impossible, while also introducing market concentration dynamics, competitive tensions, and regulatory challenges. Using case studies such as Netflix, Spotify, and dating apps, the article shows how platforms reshape traditional value chains, foster innovative business models, and produce network externalities that redefine consumer behavior and competition. The discussion also covers the relationship between platforms and traditional channels, highlighting disintermediation phenomena and the challenges for public policy in balancing innovation with user protection within a context of increasing dependence on data and artificial intelligence.