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Tech Monopoly
In recent years, the astronomical rise of tech giants like Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft has been criticized as anticompetitive, and many have wondered if antitrust law can help protect workers and consumers. In Tech Monopoly, Herbert Hovenkamp explores competition problems in a wide range of high-tech firms—from those that sell purely digital products, such as video streaming, search, software, or email services, to others that sell more traditional "tactile" products, such as hardware, clothing, groceries, or rides. He offers a realistic look at the powers and limitations of antitrust law in tech markets with an assessment that is as comprehensive as it is accessible.
After a general introduction to antitrust law, Tech Monopoly considers how competitive harm should be assessed in these markets. Then Hovenkamp looks at the role of large digital platforms, including Amazon, Alphabet, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft, and considers whether their size alone is an antitrust problem or if the concern should be limited to market power. Finally, the author addresses the very difficult problem of remedies. Should we "break up" big tech, and if so, how? What kind of breakup of these firms would make users or others better off? And if breakups are not the only possible antitrust fix, are there more effective and less disruptive alternatives?
After a general introduction to antitrust law, Tech Monopoly considers how competitive harm should be assessed in these markets. Then Hovenkamp looks at the role of large digital platforms, including Amazon, Alphabet, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft, and considers whether their size alone is an antitrust problem or if the concern should be limited to market power. Finally, the author addresses the very difficult problem of remedies. Should we "break up" big tech, and if so, how? What kind of breakup of these firms would make users or others better off? And if breakups are not the only possible antitrust fix, are there more effective and less disruptive alternatives?
226 pages, Paperback
Published August 6, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 29, 2026
While a useful primer on antitrust law, the title of the book is "Tech Monopoly", and the book barely scratches the surface on the harms being done by big tech in the modern era, and what to do about said harms. It becomes clear throughout the book that the author believes that none of these big tech firms are monopolies per se, even if they sometimes dabble in monopolistic behavior.
While I'm sure the author is correct that few of the firms reach the technical definition of a monopoly according to US law, that isn't the important piece of the intellectual question. The author gets close to hitting on this question in the brief comparisons to Europe's response to monopolistic power, but only tangentially so.
While I'm sure the author is correct that few of the firms reach the technical definition of a monopoly according to US law, that isn't the important piece of the intellectual question. The author gets close to hitting on this question in the brief comparisons to Europe's response to monopolistic power, but only tangentially so.
August 29, 2024
This is a delightful primer into antitrust issues in the tech world, and the opening itself is actually a great overview of antitrust law in general. Hoevenkamp’s preferred approach for dealing with these issues clearly sounds in the Harvard school approach, which I find refreshing and very grounded. Really glad I picked this one up - I learned a lot!
August 10, 2024
Short and non technical, but very clear. End of the book suffers a bit from the brevity but overall great
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews