Tech antitrust: big cases, bigger questions

Google lost its search monopoly case. Apple settled on the App Store. Amazon and Meta cases are pending. Is this the new trustbusting era?

The legal theory has evolved significantly. The old consumer welfare standard — prices went down, so no harm — doesn't work for free digital products. The courts are adapting antitrust doctrine for the platform economy.

The question I care about is market power and its effect on workers, not just consumers. Platform monopolies depress wages for gig workers, extract rents from small businesses, and consolidate power in ways that go beyond price.

The international enforcement landscape matters too. The EU is further ahead with the Digital Markets Act. Their interoperability requirements are forcing structural changes that US litigation hasn't achieved.

The Google search remedy is the one to watch. If the court orders default search changes or data-sharing requirements, it restructures the entire digital advertising ecosystem. The stakes are enormous.

Whatever your political priors, the legal precedent being set right now will define market structure for a generation. These cases are this era's Standard Oil and AT&T.