Digital platforms: an analytical framework for identifying and evaluating policy options

At the request of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, a project consortium of TNO, Ecorys and IViR have developed a framework to analyse policy questions regarding ‘digital platforms’. This framework enables the government to take advantage of the opportunities these platforms offer and to appreciate and mitigate potential risks related to these platforms.
In this study a digital platform is defined as ‘a (technological) basis for delivering or aggregating services/content from service/content providers to end-users’. Examples of digital platforms are Apple, Netflix, Bol.com (a Dutch e-commerce platform), Facebook and Thuisafgehaald (a Dutch platform where users can share meals). Case studies of these platforms have been used to develop the framework and are included in the annexes to this report.