Forum gathers international authorities to discuss digital competition and antitrust regulation
Meeting in Rio de Janeiro highlights challenges of the digital economy, impacts of AI, and paths for updating the regulatory framework
On November 27 and 28, FGV Rio Law and the Center for Technology and Society (CTS) hosted the 4th Forum on Digital Competition of the BRICS+, held in Rio de Janeiro in partnership with the BRICS Competition Centre and the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE), with support from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
During the two days of discussions, representatives from antitrust authorities of BRICS+ countries, civil society experts, and members of the academic community analyzed coordinated strategies to tackle the increasingly complex challenges of the digital economy. Topics discussed included the competitive advantages provided by artificial intelligence, the dynamics of digital ecosystems, and the main damage theories associated with platforms that concentrate a large portion of online economic activity.
The event also marked the presentation of important studies. The CTS launched the Yellow Paper on Ex Ante Regulation in Brazil, which gathers an analysis of proposals for reforming competition legislation aimed at digital platforms and presents recommendations for constructing a more comprehensive regulatory framework aligned with contemporary economic realities. The BRICS Competition Centre released the report “From Fields to Futures: Competition, Financialization, and Digitalization in Global Value Chains of Grains,” examining the impacts of digitalization and financialization on the global value chains of agribusiness.
The Forum featured prominent international authorities, including Gustavo Augusto, President of CADE; advisors Victor Fernandes and Camila Pires; Teresa Moreira, director of the Competition and Consumer Protection Department of UNCTAD; Fanshurullah Asa, president of Indonesia's competition authority; Adilya Vyaseleva, deputy director of Russia's competition authority; Cielo Elainne Rusinque Urrego, superintendent of Industry and Commerce of Colombia's competition authority; Itumeleng Lesofe, director of the Market Investigations Department of South Africa's competition authority; and Wang Jirong, member of the Digital Economy Enforcement Department of China's competition authority.
One of the event organizers, Professor Nicolo Zingales, emphasized the meeting's importance and the increasing convergence among countries in digital regulation.
“We are witnessing a true spring of antitrust law renewal, and this event demonstrates a growing convergence in addressing challenges in the application of antitrust law to digital ecosystems. Our hope is that such discussions will assist in the approval of P.L. 4675/2025, which would provide CADE with the necessary tools to adapt the competitive framework to the realities of the digital economy,” he stated.
The 4th Forum on Digital Competition of the BRICS+ reinforced FGV’s role as a space for international dialogue and knowledge production on regulation, technology, competition, and economic development, central themes for the future of digital markets.
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