Virtually all of today’s large software platforms are open ecosystems that allow third parties to build applications to improve the base platform under a variety of models. For example, “independent software vendor” (ISV) or application programming interface (API) access contracts govern how third-party developers may interact with technology platforms. “Scrapers” also access platform information without any contract to develop analytics products. Adding to the complexity, platforms may be on both sides of these relationships, acting as ISVs to integrate their products with other platforms, or scraping competitor data to develop new products.

A wide variety of platforms host these mutually beneficial ecosystems, from business-oriented platforms such as Salesforce to consumer-facing products such as Instagram. But these ecosystems are also fraught with antitrust risk that arises when platforms try to terminate or modify the terms of third-party platform access, especially when a change in access is accompanied by the platform offering a competing product.