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 […]
Technology
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 […]
ACI Study Finds Government-Owned Broadband Networks Will Not Bridge the Digital Divide
Today, the American Consumer Institute (ACI) released a new study examining the dangers of government-owned broadband networks at a time when some states and municipalities are flush with stimulus dollars. Despite significant advancements in internet subscribership and record levels of private investment that have led to lower prices and increased speeds for consumers, some persist […]
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 […]
Restricting Mergers and Acquisitions: An Outlook on the Start-up Ecosystem and Innovation
Many lawmakers seem eager to rein in the power of big tech and there seems to be a wide-spread agreement across the political aisle that something needs to be done. Among the proposed remedies is to restrict mergers and acquisitions. In this episode, Jeff Farrah, General Counsel at the National Venture Capital Association, is sharing […]
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 […]
The FTC’s Case Against Facebook Explained
Background: Since its creation in 2004, Facebook has become the premier social media networking site with an estimated 200 million users in the United States. As it has grown, antitrust enforcers at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division have turned their attention to reigning in the company’s potential influence. In […]
Another Antitrust Bill Misses the Mark
After a quiet couple of months, congressional trustbusters are set to make another attempt to reign in big tech and make it harder for them to provide the substantial consumer benefits consumers are used to. The Open App Markets Act (OAMA), recently introduced by Senators Blumenthal (D-CT) and Klobuchar (D-MN), would fundamentally alter how consumers […]
Outdated Immigration Policies Are Impeding Economic Growth
According to a recent Politico report, U.S businesses have expressed deep concern that outdated and broken immigration laws are “holding them back” from recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Let’s Move America Forward (FWD), held a broadly similar assessment, contending that the U.S. needs to double immigration levels to remain globally competitive. Recognizing the importance of […]
Congress Must Avoid Overly Restrictive Facial Recognition Legislation
The House Judiciary Committee recently debated the merits of facial recognition technology and what, if any, action the federal government should take in regulating its use. Both Republicans and Democrats are concerned about the potential for companies and law enforcement to abuse this technology, with Republicans being concerned about it violating constitutional rights and Democrats […]