Facing Up To Internet Giants

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearch

Mancur Olson claimed that concentrated interests win against diffuse interests even in advanced democracies. Multinational companies, for example, work well in unison to suit their interests. The rest of the public is not motivated or informed enough to resist them. In contrast, other scholars argued that diffuse interests may be able to fight back, but only when certain conditions prevail. One of the conditions for the success of diffuse interests is the intervention of national and international courts. Courts are able to fix problems affecting diffuse interests. Courts can also indirectly empower diffuse interests by initiating deliberation to inform the public. This paper investigates the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights and the Court of Justice of the European Union. It argues that these international courts help consumers, a diffuse interest group, succeed in their struggle against internet companies, a concentrated interest group
Original languageEnglish
JournalDuke Journal of Comperative & International Law
Volume34
Issue number2
Pages (from-to)175-205
Number of pages31
Publication statusPublished - 2024

ID: 337982836