October 22, 2020

tl;dr - The DOJ's Antitrust Case Against Google

Samuel Bowman & Geoffrey A. Manne

The Department of Justice and a few Republican state attorneys general have filed an antitrust suit against Google. But… The DOJ case will struggle.

Antitrust & Consumer Protection

September 28, 2020

tl;dr - Section 230 Reform Summaries

Kristian Stout & Ben Sperry

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act has come under close scrutiny. Section 230 provides important immunity to online platforms for the content of third-party users.

Antitrust & Consumer Protection

September 12, 2020

TPRI Conference on Technology and Declining Economic Dynamism Acquisitions by Dominant Firms

Geoffrey A. Manne & Dirk Auer & Alec Stapp

TPRI Conference Slides on Killer Acquisitions & Kill Zones

Antitrust & Consumer Protection

August 25, 2020

tl;dr - The First Amendment and Section 230: Protecting free speech on the internet

Ben Sperry

The First Amendment and Section 230 immunity work together to protect free speech on the Internet. Attempts at Section 230 reform based on how online platforms use their editorial discretion will run into Constitutional limitations.

Antitrust & Consumer Protection

July 21, 2020

tl;dr - Vertical integration: economies of scope

Samuel Bowman & Geoffrey A. Manne

Vertical integration allows businesses to innovate more. It may be bad for certain competitors, but it is rarely bad for competition.

Antitrust & Consumer Protection

July 21, 2020

tl;dr - Competition in digital platform markets: a question of definitions

Samuel Bowman & Geoffrey A. Manne

Competition is strong in digital markets, but traditional antitrust tools may miss competitive nuances in these markets.

Antitrust & Consumer Protection

July 21, 2020

tl;dr - Self-preferencing: building an ecosystem

Samuel Bowman & Geoffrey A. Manne

“Self-preferencing” is a normal part of how platforms operate, both to improve the value of their core product and to make money from it so that they have a reason to keep investing in it.

Antitrust & Consumer Protection

July 21, 2020

tl;dr - Killer acquisitions: an exit strategy for founders

Samuel Bowman & Geoffrey A. Manne

Being acquired is how many startup founders and investors expect to make money. If you make that harder you’ll get fewer startups.

Antitrust & Consumer Protection

July 21, 2020

tl;dr - Competition and concentration: an unclear connection

Samuel Bowman & Geoffrey A. Manne

Concentration is a poor measure of competition, because large businesses can be better for consumers than small ones. And concentration isn’t even rising in the ways that would matter.

Antitrust & Consumer Protection