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Microsoft, Google, and a New Era of Antitrust
Harvard Business Review – In the last few months, the U.S. federal government has brought two major antitrust cases: one to block Microsoft’s acquisition of game developer Activision, and another against Google aimed at forcing the company to divest some of its advertising businesses. But if reigning in big tech is the goal, antitrust law, at least on the surface, seems a problematic weapon. Antitrust authorities have a poor track record of successful lawsuits that proceed to trial, largely because federal law doesn’t cover the behavior regulators now allege is harmful to competition, including the control of consumer data to create competitive advantages, and self-preferencing their own products on their platforms.