Showing archive for: “Price Controls & Gouging”
Imposed Final Offer Arbitration: Price Regulation by Any Other Name
“Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!” says Al Pacino’s character, Michael Corleone, in Godfather III. That’s how Facebook and Google must feel about S. 673, the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (JCPA). Gus Hurwitz called the bill dead in September. Then it passed the Senate Judiciary Committee. Now, there ... Imposed Final Offer Arbitration: Price Regulation by Any Other Name
FTC UMC Roundup – Trojan Horse Edition
Things are getting spicy in the administrative state. This week we have the first formal indication of new rules coming out of the FTC. We have lobbyists lobbying, and influencers influencing, CEOs loitering, and academics … academicing? We have some review and preview of what’s at stake with administrative law. We’ve got interesting upcoming events. ... FTC UMC Roundup – Trojan Horse Edition
To Close the Digital Divide, Broadband Infrastructure Funds Must Be Spent Efficiently
States seeking broadband-deployment grants under the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program created by last year’s infrastructure bill now have some guidance as to what will be required of them, with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) issuing details last week in a new notice of funding opportunity (NOFO). All things considered, ... To Close the Digital Divide, Broadband Infrastructure Funds Must Be Spent Efficiently
The Return of (De Facto) Rate Regulation: Title II Will Slow Broadband Deployment and Access
President Joe Biden’s nomination of Gigi Sohn to serve on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)—scheduled for a second hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee Feb. 9—has been met with speculation that it presages renewed efforts at the FCC to enforce net neutrality. A veteran of tech policy battles, Sohn served as counselor to former FCC ... The Return of (De Facto) Rate Regulation: Title II Will Slow Broadband Deployment and Access
Doubling Down on Durbin Disaster: Interchange Fee Caps Shortchange Consumers
The U.S. economy survived the COVID-19 pandemic and associated government-imposed business shutdowns with a variety of innovations that facilitated online shopping, contactless payments, and reduced use and handling of cash, a known vector of disease transmission. While many of these innovations were new, they would have been impossible but for their reliance on an established ... Doubling Down on Durbin Disaster: Interchange Fee Caps Shortchange Consumers
Build Broadband Better: Focus on Competition, Not Competitors
President Joe Biden named his post-COVID-19 agenda “Build Back Better,” but his proposals to prioritize support for government-run broadband service “with less pressure to turn profits” and to “reduce Internet prices for all Americans” will slow broadband deployment and leave taxpayers with an enormous bill. Policymakers should pay particular heed to this danger, amid news ... Build Broadband Better: Focus on Competition, Not Competitors
Building the Digital Future: Can the EU Foster a Dynamic and Crime-Free Internet?
The European Commission has unveiled draft legislation (the Digital Services Act, or “DSA”) that would overhaul the rules governing the online lives of its citizens. The draft rules are something of a mixed bag. While online markets present important challenges for law enforcement, the DSA would significantly increase the cost of doing business in Europe ... Building the Digital Future: Can the EU Foster a Dynamic and Crime-Free Internet?
Buck’s “Third Way”: A Different Road to the Same Destination
Congressman Buck’s “Third Way” report offers a compromise between the House Judiciary Committee’s majority report, which proposes sweeping new regulation of tech companies, and the status quo, which Buck argues is unfair and insufficient. But though Buck rejects many of the majority’s reports proposals, what he proposes instead would lead to virtually the same outcome ... Buck’s “Third Way”: A Different Road to the Same Destination
The Antitrust Case Against Google’s Adtech Business, Explained
This week the Senate will hold a hearing into potential anticompetitive conduct by Google in its display advertising business—the “stack” of products that it offers to advertisers seeking to place display ads on third-party websites. It is also widely reported that the Department of Justice is preparing a lawsuit against Google that will likely include ... The Antitrust Case Against Google’s Adtech Business, Explained
Institutional weakness and the fight against Covid-19 in Peru
Peru’s response to the pandemic has been one of the most radical in Latin America: Restrictions were imposed sooner, lasted longer and were among the strictest in the region. Peru went into lockdown on March 15 after only 71 cases had been reported. Along with the usual restrictions (temporary restaurant and school closures), the Peruvian ... Institutional weakness and the fight against Covid-19 in Peru
In Defense of Usage-Based Billing
In the face of an unprecedented surge of demand for bandwidth as Americans responded to COVID-19, the nation’s Internet infrastructure delivered for urban and rural users alike. In fact, since the crisis began in March, there has been no appreciable degradation in either the quality or availability of service. That success story is as much ... In Defense of Usage-Based Billing
Prices are Information, Even During a Crisis
[TOTM: The following is part of a blog series by TOTM guests and authors on the law, economics, and policy of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The entire series of posts is available here. This post is authored by Ben Sperry, (Associate Director, Legal Research, International Center for Law & Economics).] The visceral reaction to the ... Prices are Information, Even During a Crisis
