Too much tech power has been an impending crisis for years; that doesn’t change just how costly the crisis was. Then again, centralization might yet win.
New Defaults
The pandemic and vaccine rollout have highlighted where the West has lost its way; we need new defaults about information, change, and speed.
Google Sued by States, Ranking the Cases, Fantasy Basketball and Silver Linings
Google’s many antitrust cases, ranked! Plus, one small way that COVID is pushing one group of friends into the future.
Facebook Sued by FTC and States, The FTC’s Case, Antitrust and Politics
Facebook clearly tried to eliminate competition by acquiring Instagram and WhatsApp, but it’s not clear they were successful, which is the question that matters in a case that is ultimately about politics and power.
More on Visa-Plaid, European Commission v. Amazon, Spotify Updates
Should regulators be able to see the future, and a reminder that Aggregators are good for customers and suppliers. Then, Spotify starts selling demand, and potentially podcasts.
Justice Department Sues to Block Visa Plaid Acquisition, Plaid’s Potential, Scalability and Antitrust
The Justice Department gets it right again with another lawsuit, this time against Visa’s acquisition of Plaid.
United States v. Google
The Justice Department’s lawsuit against Google is appropriately narrow, and if it fails it gives a template for Congressional action.
Facebook’s Missing Monopoly, Facebook Takes Down QAnon, Facebook Versus Turkey
Calling Facebook a monopoly in the antitrust sense doesn’t make any sense, because digital goods aren’t a zero-sum game. Facebook, though, is increasingly American in the way it operates.
Anti-Monopoly vs. Antitrust
What matters about the Congressional report on tech and antitrust is that it exists, not the specific details.
Widgetsmith, Apple’s Curation, Google’s Reported Clampdown
The story of Widgetsmith, why Apple doesn’t have to worry about curation, and why Google is happy to follow along.