February Threads 2025
Threads from ICLE scholars on trending issues for the month of February 2025.
The Chair is right. The FTC should make "sure that unfair competition or deception or unfairness do not suppress Americans wages."
Unfortunately, assessing competition in labor markets is trickier than output markets.
?on a forthcoming paper with @geoffmanne and @AuerDirk: pic.twitter.com/m9Q1XqfcdD
— Brian Albrecht (@BrianCAlbrecht) February 25, 2025
The Chair is right. The FTC should make "sure that unfair competition or deception or unfairness do not suppress Americans wages."
Unfortunately, assessing competition in labor markets is trickier than output markets.
?on a forthcoming paper with @geoffmanne and @AuerDirk: pic.twitter.com/m9Q1XqfcdD
— Brian Albrecht (@BrianCAlbrecht) February 25, 2025
NEW PAPER: an updated version of my @LawEconCenter paper on “The politicization of IP protection: the case of standard essential patents” has been just published in the European Intellectual Property Review (EIPR). pic.twitter.com/GUTSol8AR5
— Giuseppe Colangelo (@GiuColangelo) February 25, 2025
As I wrote last week, this was bound to happen. This US administration was always going to stand up for its firms, and Trump likes tariffs… a lot.
If the European Commission does the smart thing, this could be great news for EU consumers & startups. https://t.co/QehqKpLFE6 pic.twitter.com/Y6vZUjCzwg
— Dirk Auer (@AuerDirk) February 22, 2025
Tariffs seem to be getting all the attention these days, but non-tariff barriers are probably a much bigger drain on economic activity. pic.twitter.com/bilsitnCuZ
— Eric Fruits, Ph.D. (@ericfruits) February 21, 2025
The EU is missing out on the digital revolution.
The lack of tech giants, slow innovation, and regulatory overreach are holding us back.
If this doesn’t change, Europe will remain stuck in the 20th century.
What concrete steps can we take to turn this around?
— EPICENTER – European Policy Information Center (@epicenterEU) February 20, 2025
Looking at Trump v. CBS, @WSJopinion asks the most important question: Why should the feds regulate broadcast TV? pic.twitter.com/8woACDI092
— Eric Fruits, Ph.D. (@ericfruits) February 19, 2025
"Moreover, KOSMA would make social media noticeably worse for teen users by limiting platforms’ ability to curate content for them effectively. The end result would be increased incentive for teens to lie about their age as well." More from @RBenSperry, link in the comments ? https://t.co/hHW2ZVtu0l
— Int'l Ctr Law & Econ (@LawEconCenter) February 18, 2025
Let's put aside the intra-FTC tensions here.
Commissioner Bedoya argues the FTC should study the egg supply chain. That's fair.
But the market dynamics look more consistent with competitive supply and demand than market manipulation. https://t.co/YBws4KEbdm
— Brian Albrecht (@BrianCAlbrecht) February 18, 2025
I am so stoked that I finally found a way to use this meme in a @TOTMblog piece. pic.twitter.com/j6IAwjCJ84
— Eric Fruits, Ph.D. (@ericfruits) February 14, 2025
Don't know how many competition policy nerds are out there.
But our submission on the Review of the Commerce Act, joint with @laz_radic at ICLE, is up now.
Biggest picture: the review does not address current first order issues.
And a greater focus on consumer welfare is needed pic.twitter.com/VAixOeGNyQ— Eric Crampton (@EricCrampton) February 13, 2025
More on ?? and competition and digital markets:
The @LawEconCenter has submitted comments to contribute to @CadeGovBr's public hearing “Competition in Digital Ecosystems of Mobile Devices (iOS and Android)?. A ? pic.twitter.com/l0H1uu5XB7
— Mario Zúñiga (@MZunigaP) February 12, 2025
1/9 The ??UK's first major tech investigation under its new digital markets law could reshape how brits search online. But before rushing to regulate Google Search, here are crucial lessons from abroad. A ? pic.twitter.com/clWjERSy9X
— Lazar Radic (@laz_radic) February 11, 2025
?? Competition in Digital Markets:
The discussion in Brazil has shifted from focusing on ex-ante regulation to a “more flexible approach”. That's good, isn't it? A ?: pic.twitter.com/jCpCbYKKVh
— Mario Zúñiga (@MZunigaP) February 10, 2025
@benthompson’s latest post argues that with AI tools like Deep Research, public data may lose much of its value. These tools can swiftly synthesize vast amounts of publicly available info, making it more accessible and less unique. ? 1/5
https://t.co/HbDycfgXp3— Lazar Radic (@laz_radic) February 10, 2025
1/ To nobody's surprise, regulators may be getting AI wrong. The rise of DeepSeek, an open-weight LLM from China, challenges key assumptions about AI competition and market power. ?? https://t.co/NVdrEjv8oe pic.twitter.com/i9DAzyxXxG
— Lazar Radic (@laz_radic) February 10, 2025
Regulators pushing to flood the iPhone with third-party content miss the point: Apple’s magic is in curation. From the unboxing to case colors, every choice is intentional. It’s not about limiting options—it’s about refining them to deliver the best, purest experience. 1/7 pic.twitter.com/ziklsIkfGJ
— Lazar Radic (@laz_radic) February 9, 2025
ICYMI: @LawEconCenter founder/president @geoffmanne joined a @FedSoc panel to examine the Google remedies trial and its implications for other large companies, particularly in tech. Link in the comments ?. @AsheeshKAgarwal, @anantitrust, and Thomas DeMatteo. pic.twitter.com/qLmXKx5ctd
— Int'l Ctr Law & Econ (@LawEconCenter) February 6, 2025
The DOJ won their case against Google Search. Now what?
This important RCT on Google Search users gives some clue into the possible outcomes. My reading is that it's not good for feasible remedies.
Let me explain. https://t.co/8WxZHL7U4G
— Brian Albrecht (@BrianCAlbrecht) February 5, 2025
This oped from Lina Khan is completely wrong on competition in general.
Somehow, its even worse on the unique AI aspects.
The story isn't about lack of competition – it's about how competition in tech markets actually works. pic.twitter.com/PA9OJn4Gez
— Brian Albrecht (@BrianCAlbrecht) February 4, 2025
In its first move, Trump's DOJ is suing to block HPE's $14B acquisition of Juniper Networks, claiming it would reduce competition in enterprise-grade wireless LAN. Some preliminary thoughts. ? 1/15 pic.twitter.com/tbmyzeIjqa
— Lazar Radic (@laz_radic) February 1, 2025
IMO Microsoft’s move to put Xbox games on PlayStation and Switch isn’t random. It’s a strategic shift driven by three key factors: regulation, revenue decline, and the future of gaming economics. A thread ? 1/8 https://t.co/2sh0nxkDWV
— Lazar Radic (@laz_radic) February 1, 2025