May 13, 2019

An Evidentiary Cornerstone of the FTC’s Antitrust Case Against Qualcomm May Have Rested on Manipulated Data

Geoffrey A. Manne

The courtroom trial in the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC’s) antitrust case against Qualcomm ended in January with a promise from the judge in the case, Judge Lucy Koh, to issue a ruling as quickly as possible — caveated by her acknowledgement that the case is complicated and the evidence voluminous.

Antitrust & Consumer Protection

January 7, 2019

ICLE Comments, Competition in Markets Involving Consumer Data

Geoffrey A. Manne & Julian Morris & Kristian Stout & Dirk Auer

In its sixth set of comments for the FTC’s Hearings on Competition and Consumer Protection in the 21st Century, ICLE scholars addressed the questions for comment raised by Hearing #6, “The Intersection of Big Data, Privacy, and Competition,” exposing several crucial misconceptions about the competitive dynamics of data-intensive markets.

Antitrust & Consumer Protection

January 1, 2019

When “Reasonable” Isn’t: The FTC’s Standard-less Data Security Standard

Kristian Stout & Geoffrey A. Manne

Although the FTC is well-staffed with highly skilled economists, its approach to data security is disappointingly light on economic analysis. The unfortunate result of this lacuna is an approach to these complex issues lacking in analytical rigor and the humility borne of analysis grounded in sound economics.

Antitrust & Consumer Protection

December 31, 2018

ICLE Comments, the Consumer Welfare Standard and the Role of Presumptions

Geoffrey A. Manne & Julian Morris & Kristian Stout & Dirk Auer

We thank the Commission for this opportunity to comment on the November 1, 2018 hearing on “The Consumer Welfare Standard in Antitrust Law,” FTC-2018- 0091.

Antitrust & Consumer Protection

October 14, 2018

ICLE Comments, Antitrust law and the consumer welfare standard

Dirk Auer & Gus Hurwitz & Geoffrey A. Manne & Julian Morris & Kristian Stout

Executive Summary Since the original Pitofsky hearings, much has fundamentally changed in the way the firms do businesses. Yet, despite these rapid and fundamental shifts in technology and behavior, we…

Antitrust & Consumer Protection

October 14, 2018

ICLE Comments, the regulation of consumer data

Dirk Auer & Gus Hurwitz & Geoffrey A. Manne & Julian Morris & Kristian Stout

Executive Summary These comments were submitted to the FTC as part of its hearings on “Competition and Consumer Protection in the 21st Century.” In these comments, we analyze three overarching…

Antitrust & Consumer Protection

October 14, 2018

ICLE COMMENTS, Whether the U.S. economy has become more concentrated and less competitive

Dirk Auer & Gus Hurwitz & Geoffrey A. Manne & Julian Morris & Kristian Stout

Executive Summary These comments were submitted to the FTC as part of its hearings on “Competition and Consumer Protection in the 21st Century.” In these comments, we note three high…

Antitrust & Consumer Protection

October 14, 2018

ICLE Comments, The current landscape of competition and consumer protection law and policy

Dirk Auer & Gus Hurwitz & Geoffrey A. Manne & Julian Morris & Kristian Stout

Executive Summary These comments were submitted to the FTC as part of its hearings on “Competition and Consumer Protection in the 21st Century.” As part of our comments, we note the…

Antitrust & Consumer Protection

June 14, 2018

For LabMD, the Devil is in the Not-So-Well Specified Details

Geoffrey A. Manne & Gus Hurwitz & Kristian Stout

The Eleventh Circuit’s LabMD opinion came out last week and has been something of a rorschach test for those of us who study consumer protection law. Neil Chilson found the result to be a disturbing sign of slippage in Congress’s command that the FTC refrain from basing enforcement on “public policy.” Berin Szóka, on the other hand, saw the ruling as a long-awaited rebuke against the FTC’s expansive notion of its “unfairness” authority.

Antitrust & Consumer Protection