The Impulse to Condemn the Strange: Assessing Big Data in Antitrust

CPI Antitrust Chronicle, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 16-20, February 2020

George Mason Law & Economics Research Paper No. 20-07

7 Pages Posted: 12 Mar 2020

See all articles by Alexander Kraszewski

Alexander Kraszewski

Antonin Scalia Law School

Joshua D. Wright

Lodestar Law and Economics

John M. Yun

George Mason University - Antonin Scalia Law School

Date Written: March 11, 2020

Abstract

An emerging refrain in antitrust dialog is that the accumulation and use of big data is a unique and particularly troublesome entry barrier, worthy of antitrust scrutiny. Yet, it seems that both the concept of big data and entry barriers continue to be used in a highly casual and superficial manner. In this article, we argue that big data should properly be considered a two-stage process. In stage one, a firm collects the data. In stage two, a firm transforms the data into some benefit that ultimately increases profitability. We also discuss whether big data should be considered an entry barrier, which, in a broad and abstract sense, measures the relative difficulty of obtaining necessary inputs to production.

Keywords: big data, antitrust, entry barrier, barriers to entry, antitrust law, U.S. antitrust agencies

JEL Classification: K21

Suggested Citation

Kraszewski, Alexander and Wright, Joshua D. and Yun, John M., The Impulse to Condemn the Strange: Assessing Big Data in Antitrust (March 11, 2020). CPI Antitrust Chronicle, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 16-20, February 2020, George Mason Law & Economics Research Paper No. 20-07, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3544218

Alexander Kraszewski

Antonin Scalia Law School ( email )

3301 Fairfax Drive
Arlington, VA 22201
United States

Joshua D. Wright

Lodestar Law and Economics ( email )

P.O. Box 751
Mclean, VA 22101
United States

John M. Yun (Contact Author)

George Mason University - Antonin Scalia Law School ( email )

3301 Fairfax Drive
Arlington, VA 22201
United States

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
295
Abstract Views
1,503
Rank
188,244
PlumX Metrics