Big Tech on Trial

Reporting for BIG on the Google Search and Ad Tech antitrust trials, and generally confronting the power of Big Tech. Edited by @matthewstoller and @leehepner.

[American Economic Liberties Project @econliberties]

Day four of the Google remedy trial has wrapped — and @BigTechOnTrial has the rundown.

"In sum, Google Ad Tech Day 4 gave us key testimony on perhaps the key determining variable in whether Google will be broken up: technical feasibility."

[Big Tech on Trial @BigTechOnTrial]

Our intrepid correspondent faithfully reports on the OTHER trial of the century.

[American Economic Liberties Project @econliberties]

"Case by case, antitrust enforcers are taming the beasts of Big Tech."

"We applaud @JKBustertruster, @dohamekki, and the last administration’s entire Antitrust Division."

@LeeHepner on another landmark antitrust loss for Google.👇

[Lee Hepner @LeeHepner]

Wow. I don’t think this has been reported anywhere else: @BBenedict33 reports that Judge Boasberg, who is overseeing the trial to break up Facebook starting next Monday, used to work for Meta’s lead counsel! 😬😵‍💫

[Big Tech on Trial @BigTechOnTrial]

While Zuckerberg roams the halls of the White House trying to buy new friends, Trump’s trial to break up Meta’s social media monopoly is - finally - upon us.

For Big Tech on Trial, @BBenedict33 will be in the courtroom every day. Read his breakdown here: https://t.co/E5ugvsDjdz

[Big Tech on Trial @BigTechOnTrial]

This Thanksgiving, we’re grateful for the work of the Justice Dept and Federal Trade Comm’n to reinvigorate enforcement of Section 2 of the Sherman Act.

For your reading pleasure, a summary of closing arguments in Google Ad Tech, from @BalanceCrafting. https://t.co/bf4dtKxoLz

[Lee Hepner @LeeHepner]

After a week of rumors, it's official: The Justice Dept is demanding Google "promptly" sell-off Chrome. That's the baseline to cure Google's search monopoly.

Here's the big kicker: If Google fails to comply, or if competition is not restored, Android must be sold off, too. /

[Big Tech on Trial @BigTechOnTrial]

Great summary of closing arguments in Google Ad Tech from @ArielleSGarcia. Judge Brinkema says it's the best-argued case of her career and cast doubts on a key part of Google's case. https://t.co/afLvfuA4S7

[Laurel @BalanceCrafting]

"I noticed that in paragraph 78 of your proposed findings of fact, you say that even in a market comprised of the entire ad stack, there's still direct evidence of Google's monopoly power. Can you address that?"

[Big Tech on Trial @BigTechOnTrial]

Thread on this morning’s closing arguments in the Google ad tech case, from @econliberties @BalanceCrafting 👇🏼

[Laurel @BalanceCrafting]

Highlight reel of Judge Brinkema's questions during closing arguments of DOJ & Google attorneys in adtech antitrust trial.

Headline takeaway is that she sounded skeptical when Google urged that AmEx precedent can just be copy-pasted onto dynamic digital auction markets...

🧵

[Lee Hepner @LeeHepner]

Google’s head of search isn’t just being replaced. He’s being promoted. An effective remedy to Google’s Search monopoly would terminate his employment and anyone else whose predatory conduct gave rise to Google’s monopoly. https://t.co/O9kF3efQ3A

[Big Tech on Trial @BigTechOnTrial]

“This is really about the future of the free and open Internet,” Alford said. “If we’re not going to live in a world where we’re behind paywalls, then we have got to fix the business structure of the free internet.”

Great recap by ⁦@martyswant⁩. https://t.co/RUH00yMx5Z

[Arielle Garcia @ArielleSGarcia]

For my thoughts on @Google’s defense, @JusticeATR’s rebuttal, and where things go from here: https://t.co/zW5YaWMFbR

Thanks again to @DCNorg for the opportunity to share my perspective.

[Lee Hepner @LeeHepner]

The decline of newsrooms over the past two decades was a policy choice to allow companies like Google and Meta to monopolize markets and hoard critical ad revenue. But it’s not too late to reverse this trend.

Grateful to be a part of this piece by @MorePerfectUS. Please watch!

[Matt Pearce 🦅🇺🇸 @mattdpearce]

damn

[Jason Kint @jason_kint]

This also happened today as Google wound up its defense for anticompetitive behavior in adtech. This is on top of the spoliation issues already noted.

[Arielle Garcia @ArielleSGarcia]

Ugh I realized last night I forgot this in my update. In a super tense rebuttal, this moment felt like a pressure release valve.