Senator Grassley and Members of Congress: We appreciate your efforts and careful attention to antitrust and other competition related issues with technology companies. While we support antitrust scrutiny to promote competitive behavior, as long-time supporters of free markets and free expression, we are concerned to see drastic antitrust reform proposals that completely overlook consumer welfare […]
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The Economic Standard: Big Tech’s Big Consumer Wins
Over the past year, lawmakers in Washington and State Capitols have criticized big tech’s business practices, alleging self-preferencing, pre-installing apps, and data collection practices amount to violations of America’s antitrust laws. Yet, few have given much consideration to the numerous consumer benefits generated by the industry. Rather than simply focusing on market definitions and an […]
Real Clear Policy: For the Sake of Consumers, Kill the Durbin Amendment
Despite trying to cut costs for consumers and businesses, research has consistently shown the Durbin amendment denied consumers access to no-fee and low-fee financial services. Moreover, this denial disproportionately harmed minority and low-income communities, preventing them from accessing formal lines of credit. The proposal to lower and cap interchange fees for credit card transactions would exacerbate […]
Inside Sources: Waiving TRIPS Won’t Boost Global Vaccinations
The Administration is considering waiving the intellectual property rights of the COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers, the same drug companies that risked billions to rush and test vaccines to the reach consumers. The argument for waiving these rights is that it will, supposedly, enable more consumers around the globe to get immunized. This commentary shows that waiving […]
Town Hall: Regulators Wrong on Big Tech Benefits
Simply assuming that bunding is bad is simply erroneous. This commentary shows that tech companies are bundling services and it is resulting in tens of billions of dollars of benefits to consumers. All the while, regulators want to end the bundling of online services and features, claiming (inaccurately) that this violates antitrust laws. Unless policymakers […]
The Economic Standard: Facebook is Back in Court
In December 2020, the FTC filed an antitrust suit against the tech giant, alleging that Facebook had engaged in anti-competitive behavior and acquired Instagram and WhatsApp to suppress competitive threats. The FTC’s original case against Facebook coincided with a similar antitrust suit from 48 attorney’s general seeking to have the tech giant broken up for […]
Municipal Networks Are Not the Future of Broadband
There are over 900 municipal broadband networks across the U.S. The justification for these government-owned networks is to offer lower prices than private-sector competition and to offer widespread coverage across a given municipality. However, while municipal broadband might sound like a better alternative to privately provided broadband, these networks will not enhance consumer welfare and […]
CALERA’s Merger Changes Could Harm Consumers
In February 2021, Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced legislation designed to make it harder for corporations to engage in mergers and acquisitions. The Competition and Antitrust Law Enforcement Reform Act (CALERA) makes sweeping changes to existing antitrust law, solidifying a shift from the consumer welfare standard towards a ‘big is bad’ approach. In other words, […]
Town Hall: Back to the Past for America’s Freight?
As the Administration eyes increasing regulations on the rail industry, it is important for policymakers to understand that prices declined and investments increased in the aftermath of freight rail deregulation that occurred decades ago. With the benefits of regulatory reform in mind and given the significant number of goods that are moved on freight trains […]
Broken Dreams from a Dreamer
I have called the United States home since I was six years old, and even though I was considered illegal on paper, I was an American in my heart. My dreams of calling the U.S. home and pursuing my dreams of becoming a lawyer have been shaped by my experience under Deferred Action for Childhood […]