Big Tech and Antitrust – Calling Big Tech to Account Under U.S. Law

13 Pages Posted: 29 Sep 2020

See all articles by Harry First

Harry First

New York University School of Law

Eleanor M. Fox

New York University School of Law

Date Written: August 11, 2020

Abstract

On March 4, 2020, we submitted a statement to the Antitrust Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee to assist it in its investigation of competition in digital markets. The version that we post here includes a “prescript” that highlights some of the important events relevant to our statement that have occurred in the five months since our statement was originally submitted.

Our statement reviews the problems that have been and are likely to be encountered in using current antitrust law to deal with the issues that the Big Tech platforms present. Based on our original statement, and subsequent events, we emphasize three points. First, we think it is time to bolster and reinforce the FTC’s powers. This is especially urgent given concerns about political interference with Justice Department investigations. One important way to bolster the FTC is to make clear that the Commission has the power to engage in antitrust rule-making, which we argue is the most likely vehicle for setting out clear rules to deal with the gate-keeping power of the Big Tech platforms. Second, we urge the United States to end its isolation from the international dialogue among competition authorities and join with other agencies in an effort to control these platforms. Third, we urge Congress to adopt a National Competition Policy that would provide a meta-policy statement for interpreting U.S. antitrust law and move antitrust law from a focus on a narrowly-defined consumer welfare standard to a broader conception.

Keywords: Antitrust, Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, Platforms, Competition Policy, Consumer Welfare Standard, High Tech, GAFA

JEL Classification: K21, L40, L41

Suggested Citation

First, Harry and Fox, Eleanor M., Big Tech and Antitrust – Calling Big Tech to Account Under U.S. Law (August 11, 2020). NYU Law and Economics Research Paper No. 20-53 , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3672750 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3672750

Harry First (Contact Author)

New York University School of Law ( email )

40 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012-1099
United States
212-998-6211 (Phone)
212-995-4760 (Fax)

Eleanor M. Fox

New York University School of Law ( email )

40 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012-1099
United States
212-998-6171 (Phone)

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

Paper statistics

Downloads
356
Abstract Views
1,312
Rank
153,938
PlumX Metrics