The case for breaking up Google has never been stronger
Today we’re talking about the very real possibility that Google might be broken up by the United States government. And to do that, I’m talking to Jonathan Kanter, the former assistant attorney general for antitrust under the Biden administration. Kanter left the DOJ after Trump was elected, but he was the architect of the major antitrust cases the Trump administration continues to pursue against Google. That means he’s much more free to share his thoughts on what it took to build and win both of these cases and what should happen next.
Links:
Google loses ad tech monopoly case | Verge
Google is in more danger than ever of being broken up | Verge
OpenAI tells judge it would buy Chrome from Google | Verge
The high stakes of Google’s monopoly trial | Verge
DOJ says Google must sell Chrome to crack open search monopoly | Verge
Google makes history with rapid-fire antitrust losses | NYT
Read the antitrust ruling against Google | NYT
Google ad monopoly ruling's surprise winner: OpenAI | Axios
DOJ antitrust chief is ‘overjoyed’ after Google monopoly verdict | Decoder
DOJ’s Kanter says the antitrust fight against Big Tech is just beginning | Decoder
Credits:
Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Ursa Wright.
The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.
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Stock Market Sell-Off, Google Antitrust Verdict, and Guest Jonathan Kanter
Kara and Scott discuss the global stock market sell-off, and why people shouldn't panic. Then, Berkshire Hathaway unloads nearly half of its stake in Apple as the company's cash stockpile increases, and what's behind the reported growing tensions between Warren Buffett and Bill Gates. Plus, Donald Trump ditches the previously scheduled ABC debate, and insists on Fox News or nothing. Our Friend of Pivot is Jonathan Kanter, the Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Antitrust Division. Jonathan gives his immediate reaction to the landmark Google antitrust ruling, and explains the repercussions for tech and beyond.
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How a DOJ Economist Approaches Antitrust in America
The Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission have taken an invigorated approach to antitrust under the Biden administration, targeting companies for labor issues like non-competes, in addition to looking at more traditional measures of anti-competitive behavior, like higher pricing. But how does an economist examine the impact of monopoly practices on the overall economy, or take into account new and different measures of their effects? In this episode, we speak with Ioana Marinescu, principle economist at the DOJ's Antitrust Division, about how she analyzes these thorny issues and what she's learned from specific recent cases, like Activision/Overwatch League, or Penguin Random House’s attempted acquisition of Simon & Schuster.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
DOJ’s Jonathan Kanter says the antitrust fight against Big Tech is just beginning
Today, I’m talking with Jonathan Kanter, the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Antitrust Division at the Department of Justice. Alongside FTC chair Lina Khan, Jonathan is one of the most prominent figures in the big shift happening in competition and antitrust in the United States. This is a fun episode: we taped this conversation live on stage at the Digital Content Next conference in Charleston, South Carolina a few days ago, so you’ll hear the audience, which was a group of fancy media company executives.
You’ll also hear me joke about Google a few times; fancy media execs are very interested in the cases the DOJ has brought against Google for monopolizing search and advertising tech — and Jonathan was very good at not commenting about pending litigation. But he did have a lot to say about the state of tech regulation, he and Khan’s track record so far, and why he thinks the concepts they’re pushing forward are more accessible than they’ve ever been.
Links:
The top Biden lawyer with his sights on Apple and Google — Politico
Judge blocks a merger of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster — NYT
FTC’s Khan and DOJ’s Kanter beat back deals at fastest clip in decades — Bloomberg
Google will face another antitrust trial September 9th, this time over ad tech — The Verge
In the Google antitrust trial, defaults are everything and nobody likes Bing — The Verge
Google Search, Chrome, and Android are all changing thanks to EU antitrust law — The Verge
Aggregation Theory — Stratechery
Adobe explains why it abandoned the Figma deal — The Verge
How the EU’s DMA is changing Big Tech — The Verge
Epic Games CEO calls out Apple’s DMA rules as ‘malicious compliance’ — TechCrunch
Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23831914
Credits:
Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright.
The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.
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DOJ's Jonathan Kanter on the Bidenomics Approach to Antitrust
A key plank of the Biden administration's "Bidenomics" involves stronger antitrust enforcement and we've seen the White House empower agencies like the Department of Justice to step up actions on monopolies and other behaviors that reduce competition. But what exactly counts as anti-competitive nowadays? And how does promoting competition sit alongside the administration's more proactive public investment and industrial policies? In this episode, we speak with Jonathan Kanter, assistant attorney general for the Antitrust Division at the DOJ, about how he's thinking about these issues. We also talk competition in banking after a wave of consolidation in the space, as well as new challenges posed by Big Tech and artificial intelligence.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BONUS: Hard Fork Live! Big Tech’s Arch Nemesis + Bot, or Not?
Jonathan Kanter, who heads up the Justice Department’s antitrust division, believes that antitrust laws are critical for innovation — from ad tech to A.I. The assistant attorney general is bringing a new philosophy to enforcing those laws. So, how is his new approach to protecting competition playing out?
Plus: Can you guess whether that was a bot, or not?
On today’s episode:
Jonathan Kanter is the assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s antitrust division.
Additional reading:
Jonathan Kanter has long been a critic of big tech.
The Justice Department has accused Google of abusing a monopoly over online advertising.
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Meta Shakes Off the FTC, and AAG Jonathan Kanter takes on Google
The Fed eases up on the brakes, Elon Musk looks for new ways to monetize Twitter, and Snap has another rough quarter. Also: Meta may have prevailed in a fight with the FTC. Today’s Friend of Pivot is Jonathan Kanter, Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division at the DOJ. He stops by to discuss Google, antitrust, and his agency's fight against monopolies.
Send us your questions! Call 855-51-PIVOT or go to nymag.com/pivot.
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Live From Inforum at the Commonwealth Club: Blockchain and Cryptocurrency: The Basics, With Kathryn Haun
Through Inforum at the Commonwealth Club, I recently moderated a sold-out discussion on the basics of blockchain technology and cryptocurrency. My guest was Kathryn Haun, a former federal prosecutor who is now teaching a class on cryptocurrency at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and serves on the boards of Coinbase and Hacker One. We go through all the elementary questions most newbies have: what is bitcoin, what is a blockchain, what is Ethereum, what is mining, etc., and give real examples of how this technology could be used. I think it's a perfect primer for people new to crypto -- whether you're listening for tips on how to explain these concepts to your friends and family, or you're a newbie yourself and want a dead-simple explainer. This is the first in a series of talks with Inforum on blockchain and crypto, so stay tuned for future events.
Kathryn Haun: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/faculty/kathryn-haun
Inforum at the Commonwealth Club: http://inforumsf.org/
http://inforumsf.org/upcoming-events/2018/4/12/blockchain-and-cryptocurrency-the-basics
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Unconfirmed: SXSW Episode: Former DOJ Prosecutor Kathryn Haun on What the SEC Subpoenas and FinCen Letter Likely Mean
As a former government official, current board member of Coinbase and professor at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, Kathryn Haun has a unique and varied view of the crypto space. She doesn't necessarily see the SEC subpoenas as a reason to be alarmed and compares it to her work as a federal prosecutor. We also discuss the FinCen letter and why her take is different from the fear we've seen in the marketplace.
SEC issues 80 subpoeast: https://www.wsj.com/articles/sec-launches-cryptocurrency-probe-1519856266?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=1
The FinCen letter: https://coincenter.org/link/fincen-raises-major-licensing-problem-for-icos-in-new-letter-to-congress
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Federal Prosecutor Kathryn Haun On How Criminals Use Bitcoin -- And How She Catches Them
Kathryn Haun put away the DEA and Secret Service agents who tried to make off with more than $800,000 in stolen bitcoin while investigating the darknet Silk Road marketplace. She talks about how the blockchain technology underlying Bitcoin made it possible to uncover their theft, why she believes blockchain will create a lot of good, and what she does when the very people behind tumblers and mixers -- technology that makes her work more difficult -- turn to her when they are the victims of crimes. Along the way, we learn about the habits of cryptocurrency criminals and get a fascinating view into the world of "breeder documents."
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