Does a buyer need to own its purchase evidence to switch platforms?
From MCC-001, an essay: a hypothesis, not a measurement.
The short answer
Not necessarily. The essay argues that usable, interoperable access to evidence could lower the switching cost without the buyer owning or downloading a file, and that outside evidence need not beat the platform's private record on every measure to make leaving worth considering.
As published in the issue
Usable, interoperable access to evidence could lower that switching cost without requiring the buyer to own or download a file. The evidence need not outperform the platform’s private record on every measure to make an outside option worth considering. The comparison is between the value of access to alternatives and the informational advantage of remaining inside.
The sentence above is quoted from the essay as published and is not re-written here. The essay, its date and the address it was published at are below.
Why it matters
Data ownership is often treated as the precondition for switching. Usable access may be what actually matters, and it is a smaller thing to provide.
Source
- Issue
- Machine Commerce Conditions: MCC-001 — September 2026
- Published
The terms
The terms this question uses are defined in the glossary.
Corrections and disputes
Corrections to this issue are on the corrections register, and this answer reads from the record rather than from a copy.