This week, the Google Ad tech trial begins its remedies phase. The Department of Justice unveiled its proposed remedies in the ad tech case against Google earlier this month. The DOJ’s plan doesn’t stop at conduct limits: It pushes for structural breakup by forcing the divestiture of Google’s ad exchange (AdX) and, in phases, its […]
The strength of the U.S. digital economy lies in its adaptability. Since the FTC began investigating Amazon in 2019, commerce has been reshaped by innovation, new entrants, CVOID, and shifting consumer preferences. Since then online and offline shopping evolved rapidly amid fierce competition from brick-and-mortar stores, undermining the case’s premise. The agency’s lawsuit relies on […]
A new white paper by scholars from Indiana University, Harvard, and the University of Southern California, “Ensuring Antitrust Actually Promotes Competition in the Digital Economy,” shows that the Department of Justice’s proposals in its Google Search antitrust case antitrust case would harm consumers, undermine innovation, deter investment, and weaken the companies that have propelled the […]
As part of its proposed remedies in the Google Search case, the Department of Justice (DOJ) seeks to force Google to make user data, the Google Search index, ranking technologies, and query understanding accessible to competitors. This unprecedented remedy would demand Google share existing and future sensitive search and advertising data with a wide group […]
The case ignores a competitive, thriving tech sector Rather than tailoring remedies to address the contracts at issue, the DOJ’s proposed remedies are pushing for structural changes and sweeping restrictions that ignore the evolving nature of the search market in an attempt to benefit Google’s competitors. Even while search is undergoing one of its greatest […]
For years, the Federal Trade Commission aggressively discouraged M&A activity, arguing transactions only benefitted large players. The tale of American robotics company iRobot is a cautionary tale about how misguided this view is. The last few years have shown us that overly restrictive regulatory enforcement can stifle innovation and harm companies and startups that would […]
Andrew Ferguson and Gail Slater are leading the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), respectively. This is an important moment to revisit the original purpose and mandate of each agency. Congress created the FTC and the role of Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust to protect consumers by […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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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