Prof. Fetzer spoke on „The Rise in Antitrust Scrutiny of Big Tech“ at an Event organized by the Centre for Technology, Innovation and Competition at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.
Attitudes towards big tech have undergone a sea change. Regarded for two decades as paragons of enterprise and innovation, digital platforms are now the subject of investigations by U.S. antitrust enforcement authorities and multiple European enforcement actions, including two multibillion dollar judgements against Google. In addition, calls for subjecting large tech companies to tougher antitrust scrutiny now span the political spectrum, reflected in the enforcement policy of the Trump Administration, the endorsement by every Democratic candidate for President, and the growing debate over neo-Brandeisian/hipster antitrust.