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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Google Search succeeds because of competition, not in spite of it. — As we’ve previously shown, Google Search is the leading search engine because the market thinks it’s the best option available. Last fall, then-Mozilla CEO Mitchell Baker testified that Mozilla chose Google as the default search engine because of its “miraculous” quality. She noted […]
Tomorrow at 10am the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Antitrust will hold an oversight hearing where Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter is set to testify. Here are some questions we’d encourage members to ask: Why is the US moving to a European approach to antitrust, when the EU economy has underperformed and there are no great […]
In the eighth week of the DOJ’s case against Google, Google CEO Sundar Pichai began by highlighting Google’s dedication to innovation and users, followed by a number of Google executives and partners who testified about Google’s benefit for consumers and the competitive landscape. 1. Google’s partners choose Google because it’s helpful 2. Google succeeds because […]
The DOJ’s case against Google is flawed. Recent testimony emphasized how competition across digital advertising continues to grow– revealing yet another thorn in the side of the DOJ’s erroneous antitrust probe against Google. 1. Google Search ads face competition from Microsoft Bing ads – The Home Depot’s Senior Manager of Paid Media, Ryan Booth testified […]
As we enter the second month of the DOJ trial against Google, let’s revisit just how flawed this case is. The case is being pushed by Google’s competitors, especially Microsoft. The case is an effort by Microsoft to gain competitive advantage through government action. – A “successful case against Google may help its competitors but […]
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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