论价格算法合谋的法律规制

Legal Regulation of Price Algorithm Collusion

摘要: 数字经济时代，算法在商业活动中的应用极大地促进了商业的繁荣，但也带来了反垄断规制的困境。价格算法在垄断协议的达成上具有降低沟通成本、隐蔽意思交流、稳固合谋和改变合谋发生的市场条件的特点。从反垄断规制上来看，价格算法可以分为纯粹工具性的算法和具有自主性的算法，二者应适用不同的规制思路。前者可以直接适用现行法规制。后者的规制则存在合谋认定困难、不可控性抗辩以及宽恕政策失效等困境。对此，本文从规制价格算法研发视角，提出了反垄断规则代码化和建立算法验证制度来辅助垄断合谋的认定，并进一步完善研发者责任体系的反垄断执法纾困思路。

Abstract: In the era of digital economy, the application of algorithms in business activities has greatly contributed to the prosperity of business, but also brought about the dilemma of antitrust regulation. Price algorithms have the characteristics of reducing communication costs, concealing exchanges of meaning, solidifying collusion and changing the market conditions under which collusion occurs in the conclusion of monopoly agreements. From the perspective of antitrust regulation, price algorithms can be divided into purely instrumental algorithms and algorithms with autonomy, which should be subject to different regulatory ideas. The former can be directly applied to the existing laws and regulations. In the latter case, there are dilemmas such as the difficulty of identifying collusion, the defense of uncontrollability, and the failure of leniency policy. In this regard, from the perspective of regulating the research and development of pricing algorithms, this paper proposes the idea of antitrust enforcement relief by codifying antitrust rules and establishing an algorithm validation system to assist in the identification of monopoly collusion and further improve the liability system of researchers and developers.