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Self-preferencing, Quality Provision, and Welfare in Mobile Application Markets

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  • Xuan Teng

    (LMU Munich)

Abstract

Platforms often display their products ahead of third-party products in search. Is this due to consumers preferring platform-owned products or platforms engaging in self-preferencing by biasing search towards their own products? What are the welfare implications? I develop a structural model of mobile application markets to identify self-preferencing and quantify its welfare effects, taking into account third-party developers' quality adjustment. A new dataset on app downloads, prices, characteristics, and search rankings is used to estimate the model. Estimates indicate self-preferencing. Simulations show higher consumer welfare and third-party profits without self-preferencing.

Suggested Citation

  • Xuan Teng, 2023. "Self-preferencing, Quality Provision, and Welfare in Mobile Application Markets," Rationality and Competition Discussion Paper Series 434, CRC TRR 190 Rationality and Competition.
    • Handle: RePEc:rco:dpaper:434
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    competition policy; platform design; consumer search; endogenous product choice;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • L86 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Information and Internet Services; Computer Software

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