One of the most contentious antitrust cases of 2019, FTC v. Qualcomm, is in full swing at a courthouse in San Jose, California. With several other legal cases pending for Qualcomm, a lot is at stake. For Qualcomm, its fundamental business model is what’s at risk. For everyone else? Market competition, innovation and national security. […]
Forbes: Postal Monopoly Abuse
A new study by a former US Department of Commerce official confirms something that many observers have long concluded – the US Postal Service overcharges its monopoly customers and then uses these proceeds to subsidize unregulated services in direct competition with the private sector. The study, conducted by economist Robert Shapiro, finds consumers are overpaying […]
ACI in Breitbart: Post Office Keeps Speading its Losses
This piece discusses the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) financial situation — $50 billion in losses over the last eight years. The fact is that USPS is making profits in some of its core activities, yet trying to use its postal monopoly to expand into new, but unprofitable, ventures — such as grocery delivery and financial services. In the […]
Words about Internet Freedom from the Monopolist
Earlier this week, Sergey Brin, Google’s co-founder, gave an interview to The Guardian in which he expressed concern over Internet freedom—freedom from governments, from corporations, and from so-called “walled gardens” like Facebook and Apple. Most would find Brin’s concerns over government censorship well founded, but might balk at his characterization of Facebook and Apple. The […]
ACI: Google’s new privacy policies raise “grave concerns”
“Washington, DC, January 25, 2012 –– In response to multiple news reports that Google will be consolidating their privacy policies and not allowing consumers to opt out, Steve Pociask, President of the American Consumer Institute, made the following statement: “The reports of Google’s privacy changes, which will allow no opt out, raises grave concerns for […]
Senators Kohl and Lee Call on the FTC to Investigate Google
We applaud Senator Kohl and Senator Lee for standing up for consumers by raising additional concerns about Google’s dominant market power and questionable business practices, particularly given the inconsistencies in the testimony of Google’s Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt. While Schmidt seemed to agree with the Senators that Google did have dominant market power during sworn […]
The Hill’s Congress Blog: ACI Comments
On December 7, 2011, The Hill’s Congress Blog published Steve Pociask’s blog — “Another Opportunity to Question Google’s Practices.”
ACI Sends Letter to Congress Regading Hearing
The letter is available here — Goodlatte Letter
The EU Investigates Google — Is Google Really the Victim?
I am not totally convinced that Google is a victim in the EU investigation (see MSNBC for background). While industry concentration is (by itself) largely unimportant as an antitrust concern, conduct and performance do matter. When there is an absence of effective competition or the presence of barriers to entry, a dominant firm can exercise market […]
Search Company Ask.Com “Surrenders to Google”
From Boomberg (November 11, 2010): IAC’s Barry Diller Surrenders to Google, Ends Ask.com’s Search Effort Full Story available here.
