Ankara Medipol University Faculty of Law “Online Platforms and Law Symposium”

Organized by the Faculty of Law of Ankara Medipol University on 29 May 2025 and supported under the TÜBİTAK ARDEB 3501 program, the “Online Platforms and Law Symposium” provided an academic forum for discussing the pressing legal issues emerging in today’s increasingly digital legal landscape.

The symposium featured in-depth discussions on contemporary matters in various branches of law, with a particular focus on consumer protection law, competition law, the law of obligations, and capital markets law. Scholars, legal practitioners, and experts from leading universities and institutions across Türkiye participated in the event. Topics such as consumer rights on online platforms, the legal liability of artificial intelligence applications, digital services legislation, sales transactions conducted via social media, and recent regulatory developments in e-commerce were addressed through a multidisciplinary lens.

Representing the Competition and Compliance Unit of Erdem & Erdem, Nil Zeren Özdemir took part in the fourth session of the symposium with her presentation titled “An Evaluation of Pricing Algorithms in Terms of Competition Law and Consumer Welfare.” In her presentation, Özdemir examined the impact of pricing algorithms employed by digital platforms on competition law and their implications for consumer welfare. Drawing attention to key legal risks such as tacit price coordination facilitated by algorithms, lack of transparency, and reduced market predictability, Özdemir initiated a critical discussion on how such systems can be scrutinized and regulated within the current legal framework of competition law.

The presentation also included a comparative analysis between the European Union’s competition law enforcement practices and Türkiye’s domestic competition law regime.

With its scientifically rigorous and interactive sessions, the symposium drew attention as a significant academic platform, enriched further by contributions from postgraduate and doctoral students. Nil Zeren Özdemir’s contribution to this distinguished event served as a valuable reference point for the ongoing legal discourse surrounding online platforms and their regulation.