Tech titans, other companies face PR hurdles in antitrust suits

Antitrust cases are fought as much in the court of public opinion as in a courtroom, and experts say that calls for a multipronged strategy.

Neill Averitt

Actually using a balancing test in the Google case

Antitrust lawyers love to talk about the consumer welfare standard and the rule of reason, and indeed these things are central to the intellectual framework of the law and to practical counseling. But when they’re put to the test in high-stakes litigation against Big Tech, courts generally recoil...

Current Issue: 1040

TikTok in regulatory crosshairs again

In response to a plea to investigate TikTok, Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan told Florida Senator Marco Rubio she shares concerns about misleading representations regarding access to user...

Recusal petitions losing steam but benefit Big Tech, academics say

As Big Tech companies seek to recuse top law enforcers from antitrust proceedings, academics say such petitions are unlikely to result in a recusal but offer a win-win for the tech giants.

Inspector general closes examination of Intuit

The Federal Trade Commission’s inspector general said he examined allegations that financial software company Intuit broke the law regarding its lobbying efforts and legal representation — and...

Privacy not included with this season’s smart toys

Ever since the first storytelling teddy bears flew off store shelves in the 1980s, toy companies have been focused on making interactive toys that help kids learn.

Neil Averitt commentary: A look back at 2022

2022 was a busy year for antitrust and consumer protection. It brought us computer chips, rocket motor monopolies, alleged chicken conspiracies and reputable New York publishers. Most of all, it...

FTC’s new data security strategy aims to address risk systemically, technologist says

The Federal Trade Commission has adopted a new approach to data security enforcement in the past year, one that Deputy Technologist Alex Gaynor says represents a “new mindset” that seeks to address...

on the shelf

Notable books of the year

As privacy and antitrust continued to make headlines, books tackled these topics from an array of angles. Here are some worthwhile ones reviewed by FTCWatch.