The power of numbers and the role of law: on the way to global accountability of transnational actors

The quantification of performance has everywhere become a tool of governance, an instrument capable of influencing the behaviour of individuals and other entities, and thus a potent source of power. How does (or should) the law regulate the exercise of such power? This paper addresses this question by providing a comparative overview of recent regulatory trends. In particular, it sheds light on the thorny issue of how to ensure the accountability of transnational actors and reflects on the controversial trend towards extraterritoriality, which is well illustrated by recent EU digital regulation.