#12 CADE's New Beat: Brazil's Digital Competition Crackdown w/ Dr. Victor Fernandes

In this conversation, Victor Fernandes, Commissioner at CADE, discusses the recent amendments to Brazil's competition law aimed at regulating digital markets. The conversation covers the objectives of the new regulation, the establishment of a new regulatory unit, and the balance between speed and legal rigor in enforcement. The discussion also highlights the importance of defining economic agents of systemic relevance and the impact of these changes on digital ecosystems.We mainly addressed the Federal Government's proposal to the Brazilian Congress of an amendment to its competition law introducing rules tackling digital competition: https://www.camara.leg.br/proposicoesWeb/fichadetramitacao?idProposicao=2562481.Throughout the conversation, we also touched upon a few regulatory efforts in other jurisdictions and challenges in Brazilian enforcement. Find them (and skip directly to them) here: - 02:17, First proposal of digital regulation in Brazil (Bill 2768) inspired by the DMA: https://www.camara.leg.br/proposicoesWeb/fichadetramitacao?idProposicao=2337417.- 02:24, Public consultation opened, gathering inputs on digital regulation: https://www.gov.br/participamaisbrasil/concorrencia-plataformas-digitais.- 3:00, CADE's submission on public consultation: https://cdn.cade.gov.br/Portal/centrais-de-conteudo/publicacoes/contribuicoes-do-cade/contribuicoes-cade-ministerio%20fazenda-ingl%C3%AAs.pdf.- 3:14, Current competition law framework in Brazil (Law 12.529): https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/legislation/details/17631.- 3:24, The German Section 19a GWB, similar to the Brazilian amendment: https://www.bundeskartellamt.de/EN/Digital_economy/RulesDigital_economy/rulesdigitaleconomy_node.html.- 7:45, The Japanese regulatory efforts in digital markets: https://youtu.be/BoeTbjPKoFE?si=O-Fi1bjz3uLSFfAW.- 7:47, The British approach to digital regulation (the DMCCA): https://youtu.be/iqvYuJ3E2IM?si=4bAoGuoZed6MIGhQ.- 08:35, The report issued by the Minister of Finance on digital markets regulation (advising not to replicate the DMA): https://www.gov.br/fazenda/pt-br/central-de-conteudo/publicacoes/relatorios/sre/digital-platforms-competition-regulatory-recommendations-brazil-en.pdf.- 11:02, The CMA's approach towards Apple and Google in introducing remedies to digital markets: https://competitionandmarkets.blog.gov.uk/2025/07/23/cma-proposes-next-steps-for-improving-mobile-platforms-in-the-uk/.- 15:38, CADE's case against digital platform iFood: https://www.gov.br/cade/en/matters/news/cade-signs-agreement-with-ifood-in-case-involving-exclusivity-deals-in-food-delivery-marketplaces.- 15:40, CADE's case against regional platform Gympass: https://www.gov.br/cade/en/matters/news/cade-maintains-agreement-with-gympass-in-brazilian-health-club-market.- 16:34, Victor Fernandes' approach towards digital ecosystems in his role as Commissioner in CADE: https://www.gov.br/cade/en/matters/news/cade-upholds-interim-measure-against-apple/copy_of_AppleAppealCADEsDecisionEnligshversion.pdf.To learn more about Dr. Alba Ribera Martínez and her research, we invite you to visit her website: https://www.albariberamartinez.com.She also writes, from time to time, in her newsletter, the DMA Agora, about the latest developments surrounding the European regulation: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7344021393451184128.