In a compelling op-ed, University of Pennsylvania law professor Herbert Hovenkamp argues that the Justice Department’s efforts to break up Google in the name of antitrust would ultimately harm consumers and stifle innovation, making a strong case for why the DOJ’s remedies are misguided and unlikely to achieve their intended goals. Breaking up Google would […]
The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board deconstructed the DOJ’s remedies request in the Google Search lawsuit. Their piece revealed what the DOJ’s case really is: nothing more than an attempt to punish Google at the expense of consumers. The judge in the case agrees that Google provides consumers with the “highest quality search engine.” The […]
On August 22, 2024, the D.C. Court of Appeals revived a case filed by District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine in 2021 and initially dismissed by the D.C. Superior Court Judge Hiram Puig-Lugo, accusing Amazon of anti-competitive practices, specifically targeting its “Fair Pricing Policy” and minimum margin agreements. Amazon has rightfully denied these claims, […]
Steve Moore, co-founder of Unleash Prosperity: — “The latest reports are that the courts may require Google to sell off its popular Chrome browser. (To whom? China?) It may also require Google to surrender other products to help erase its market lead. With a market cap of roughly $2 trillion, Google is one of the […]
In late October, five influential industry associations and experts filed amicus briefs highlighting the risks from a district court’s unprecedented order requiring Google to host and distribute third party platforms and applications. Forcing an app store to host third parties harms both developers and consumers If the district court’s remedies order goes forward, app developers—especially […]
This week, the Justice Department submitted a framework for potential remedies in its antitrust case against Google Search. In its filing, the DOJ is considering breaking off Chrome or Android from Google and forced data sharing, among other unreasonable remedies. The response from experts has been immediate and clear: the DOJ’s proposed remedies are extreme, […]
Representative Lou Correa (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust, called on the DOJ to consider the consequences for American consumers, workers, and the economy as it proposes a remedy framework in its antitrust action against Google. The statement raises the question: Is the DOJ willing […]
As explained recently in Project DisCo, the FTC’s reliance on narrow market definitions ignores how consumers actually shop and the competitive nature of the retail landscape. FTC’s market definition vs market reality In its case against Amazon, the FTC restricts the relevant market to that of “online superstores,” asserting that these are “distinct from, and […]
The Google ad tech trial started on Monday, with opening arguments and first witnesses. At the onset, it is clear that the government will struggle to prove Google’s alleged monopoly or that the company has engaged in anticompetitive behavior to obtain or maintain its market position. A backward-looking case In her opening statement, Google’s lead […]
This week, the trial of the Justice Department’s misguided antitrust lawsuit against Google’s digital advertising business (ad tech) starts. Like other antitrust cases that have gone to court in the last couple of years, this case is deeply flawed in several ways. Fundamentally, the DOJ’s arguments defy economic logic, ignore the realities of competition, and […]
Hostility to innovation and technology diminishes the incredible Internet-enabled opportunities that leading tech services provide: empowering consumers, driving prices down and increasing choice, and providing platforms to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses. It has given us a golden era of entertainment, knowledge, and everything from fashion startups, to booming mom and pop stores, to the latest app.
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