The Tech Giants, Monopoly Power, and Public Discourse
An essay series addressing the tech giants' power to shape public discourse
In November 2019, the Institute convened a major symposium at Columbia University, titled “The Tech Giants, Monopoly Power, and Public Discourse,” to address concerns arising from the dominance of a small number of technology companies over a wide range of economic and expressive activity. The essays in this series were originally presented and discussed at this two-day event. Written by scholars and experts in law, computer science, economics, information studies, journalism, political science, and other disciplines, the essays focus on two questions: how and to what extent the technology giants’ power is shaping public discourse, and whether anti-monopoly tools might usefully be deployed to expose or counter this power.
Here you can find links to the symposium's program and full-length videos of each panel.
Featured
New Essay Series: The Tech Giants, Monopoly Power, and Public Discourse
Addressing the tech giants' control over a wide range of economic and expressive activity
By Katy Glenn BassEssays and Scholarship
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Antitrust and Corruption: Overruling Noerr
The case for abolishing the strained Noerr doctrine
By Tim Wu -
Measuring and Protecting Media Plurality in the Digital Age: A Political Economy Approach
Developing a platform-neutral "attention share" plurality review for media mergers
By Andrea Prat -
Collaboration and Competition in Information and News During Antitrust’s Formative Era
Tracing the history of the interplay between competition, the free flow of information, and democratic values in Supreme Court opinions
By Daniel Crane -
Social Media Regulation in the Public Interest: Some Lessons from History
Examining past abuses of the ‘public interest’ standard to argue against expanding antitrust authority
By John Samples & Paul Matzko -
The Limits of Antimonopoly Law as a Solution to the Problems of the Platform Public Sphere
Arguing which antimonopoly tools do and don't matter
By Genevieve Lakier -
![[The] Breakup Speech: Can Antitrust Fix the Relationship Between Platforms and Free Speech Values?](https://s3.amazonaws.com/kfai-documents/images/810210f862/Chilson---Mattox-Image_webres.jpg)
[The] Breakup Speech: Can Antitrust Fix the Relationship Between Platforms and Free Speech Values?
Avoiding antitrust when competition isn't the problem
By Neil Chilson & Casey Mattox -
Digital Information Fidelity and Friction
Crafting a systems-level approach to transparency
By Ellen P. Goodman -
The Rise of Content Cartels
Urging transparency and accountability in industry-wide content removal decisions
By Evelyn Douek -
From Private Bads to Public Goods: Adapting Public Utility Regulation for Informational Infrastructure
Dismantling surveillance-based business models
By K. Sabeel Rahman & Zephyr Teachout -
The National Security Case for Breaking Up Big Tech
Reframing the tech giants' role in an era of great power competition
By Ganesh Sitaraman -
The Case for Digital Public Infrastructure
Harnessing past successes in public broadcasting to build community-oriented digital tools
By Ethan Zuckerman
Institute Update
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The Tech Giants, Monopoly Power, and Public Discourse: Visualizing the Conversation
Illustrator chronicles big tech symposium
By Lorraine Kenny -
New Essay Series: The Tech Giants, Monopoly Power, and Public Discourse
Addressing the tech giants' control over a wide range of economic and expressive activity
By Katy Glenn Bass
Video
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Highlights from The Tech Giants, Monopoly Power, and Public Discourse
Five panelists talk about freedom of speech and big tech