Who governs platform power? Reforming governance as an EU competition law remedy to democratic harm

Digital platforms can convert data-driven dominance into the ability to steer public discourse, with risks of democracy-related harms. A growing body of literature recognizes a role for competition law in addressing these risks. This article argues that EU competition law should adopt internal governance reform as a proportionate and effective remedy. It shows why conventional remedies underperform in digital markets and proposes a governance-oriented ladder grounded in political theory. These measures target the internal decision channel through which power is exercised, while preserving efficiencies and economies of scale. The proposal builds on existing enforcement instruments. The contribution is to advance the competition-democracy nexus and fill a remedial gap in the literature by proposing governance-based remedies for democracy-related harms.