Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust Makan Delrahim’s latest speech answers questions raised by House Antitrust Chair Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) on whether or not antitrust law should be changed to cover the zero-cost services of tech platforms. Delrahim characterized critics’ proposals of “throwing out the long-standing consumer welfare standard and crafting new rules ” to […]
In her latest for the Financial Times, Rana Foroohar argues that antitrust policy should move away from the consumer welfare standard toward a far broader definition. But as Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust Makan Delrahim has pointed out, the consumer welfare standard is adaptable and flexible, and arguments around data ownership are not actually evidence […]
A new op-ed from trade association News Media Alliance’s president and CEO David Chavern dismisses the contributions of leading tech services and argues publishers should form a cartel and extract rents by implementing controversial new regulations. In reality, though, leading tech services have taken great steps to empower publishers in the Internet Age, while the […]
At State of the Net 2019 in Washington, D.C. yesterday, Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust Makan Delrahim expressed a different view to Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) and reminded critics of the strength of the consumer welfare standard and the need for caution in enforcement. Highlights from his fireside chat with Variety’s Ted Johnson, as well […]
Earlier today, Richard Epstein published an extensive review of Tim Wu’s new book and overall antitrust framework, arguing Wu’s criticism of leading tech services “overstates the benefits and ignores the high costs of an aggressive application of the antitrust laws.” Epstein is the just the latest to rebut Wu’s arguments—Alec Stapp of the Niskanen Center […]
Earlier today, Georgetown’s Larry Downes and the Brookings Institution’s Blair Levin published an op-ed in the Washington Post, asking if the recent tech backlash was “going askew.” Downes and Levin point out that critics of leading tech services propose only vague alternatives to the consumer welfare standard, and that the tech sector is in fact […]
A new Crunchbase analysis finds venture investment in the tech sector continues to thrive. 2018 was a “year of superlatives,” with the most money invested in the highest number of private tech company financing events ever and the largest VC deals in history. As Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield noted in 2015, “It might be the best […]
Yesterday, the Financial Times editorial board pointed to four areas of increased regulatory scrutiny of leading tech services: bias, privacy, intermediary liability, and antitrust. Below are key developments to help understand each issue. Additionally, it’s critical to remember that tech continues to buck trends that plague the broader economy, fueled by competition. Investment and R&D […]
After the whirlwind of a festive December and the start of a new year, here are a few good reads on leading tech services, competition, and the economics behind firm concentration. More below. “How Much Is Social Media Worth? Estimating The Value Of Facebook By Paying Users To Stop Using It,” from economists Jay Corrigan, […]
During a speech at Capitol Forum’s Fifth Annual Tech, Media & Telecom Competition Conference, Principal Deputy AAG Andrew Finch discussed antitrust markets and the vibrant new competition present in traditional industries. He rebuts tech critics’ misconceptions around concentration and tech, noting: 1. Industry concentration data that looks at industry-level census data does not reflect relevant […]
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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