In: Economics
Recently, several big tech companies have been experiencing increasing criticism for alleged anticompetitive behavior. Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple are currently under a broad anti-trust review opened by the US justice department in July 2019. Facebook is under anti-trust investigation by 47 state attorneys general. Additionally, the European Union recently fined Google $2.7 billion for manipulating its search results. Some US political candidates have observed these trends and are calling for the break-up of big tech companies.
The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Amazon changed its product search algorithm to prioritize items that generate higher profit margins for their company (including its own branded products) over items that are better selling or more relevant to consumers. Products that are no longer prioritized may include those sold through the site by third-party sellers.
Based on your analysis of the game day, readings, and class discussion in this module, do YOU believe regulators step in to stop this behavior? Why or why not?