"Techlash" refers to a growing public concern over the behavior of big technology companies and the call for government action to curtail what are seen as abusive practices. Figures on the right and the left alike have expressed concerns of over privacy, free speech, and fairness on online platforms. Most recently, 50 attorneys general have launched an investigation into Google for violations of antitrust law.

In this episode, Adam Thierer moderates a discussion between Geoffrey Manne and Hal Singer on whether these concerns represent genuine consumer harm and whether antitrust law is an appropriate means to address them.

Featuring:
- Geoffrey Manne, President and Founder, International Center for Law & Economics
- Hal Singer, Managing Director, Econ One
- [Moderator] Adam Thierer, Senior Research Fellow, Mercatus Center, George Mason University

Resources discussed in today's episode:
- "Concluding Comments: The Weakness of Interventionist Claims (FTC Hearings, ICLE Comment 11)" (https://laweconcenter.org/resource/icle-comments-ftc-hearings-on-competition-consumer-protection-in-the-21st-century-summary/)
- "The Real Reason Foundem Foundered" (https://laweconcenter.org/resource/the-real-reason-foundem-foundered/)
- "Google and the Limits of Antitrust: The Case Against the Antitrust Case Against Google" (https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1577556)
- "How Big Tech Threatens Economic Liberty" (https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/how-big-tech-threatens-economic-liberty/)
- "Sorry, Mr. Delrahim: Big Tech’s Worst Abuses Can’t Be Cured Without Stiffer Regulation" (https://promarket.org/mr-delrahim-big-tech-worst-abuses-cant-be-cured-without-stiffer-regulation/)

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Tech Roundup 2 – The Techlash: Big Tech and Antitrust

RTP's Fourth Branch Podcast