Hacker News with Generative AI: Antitrust

Zuckerberg urges Trump to stop the EU from fining US tech companies (politico.eu)
The U.S. government under incoming President Donald Trump should intervene to stop the EU from fining American tech companies for breaching antitrust rules and committing other violations, Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said late Friday.

Antitrust, Technology, Politics, United States, Europe

10 points by gniting 2 days ago | 2 comments

FTC, States Sue Deere and Company to Protect Farmers (ftc.gov)

FTC, Lawsuits, Agriculture, Antitrust

9 points by ChrisArchitect 2 days ago | 0 comments

FTC Sues John Deere over Its Repair Monopoly (404media.co)
The Biden administration and the states of Illinois and Minnesota sued tractor and agricultural manufacturer John Deere Wednesday, arguing that the company’s anti consumer repair practices have driven up prices for farmers and have made it difficult for them to get repairs during critical planting and harvesting seasons.

Antitrust, Agriculture, Lawsuits, Consumer Rights, Business

67 points by jbiason 2 days ago | 11 comments

Zuckerberg urges Trump to stop the EU from fining US tech companies (politico.eu)
The U.S. government under incoming President Donald Trump should intervene to stop the EU from fining American tech companies for breaching antitrust rules and committing other violations, Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said late Friday.

Antitrust, Regulation, Politics, Technology, Europe

8 points by louthy 5 days ago | 6 comments

US sues six of the biggest landlords over "algorithmic pricing schemes" (arstechnica.com)
The US Justice Department today announced it filed an antitrust lawsuit against "six of the nation's largest landlords for participating in algorithmic pricing schemes that harmed renters."

Antitrust, Lawsuits, Real Estate, Algorithms, Pricing

48 points by c5karl 10 days ago | 7 comments

DOJ Sues Six Large Landlords for Algorithmic Pricing Scheme That Harms Millions (justice.gov)
The Justice Department, together with its state co-plaintiffs, filed an amended complaint today in its antitrust lawsuit against RealPage, to sue six of the nation’s largest landlords for participating in algorithmic pricing schemes that harmed renters.

Antitrust, Lawsuits, Real Estate, Algorithms, Pricing

37 points by pseudolus 10 days ago | 9 comments

The Rise of the French Fry Cartel (jacobin.com)
After decades of consolidation, just four firms now control at least 97 percent of the $68 billion frozen potato market, the antitrust cases reveal. These four companies participate in the same trade associations and use a third-party data analytics platform — PotatoTrac — to share confidential business information. The lawsuits allege the firms’ collusion has driven french fries and hash browns to record-high prices.

Antitrust, Food Industry, Business, Economics, Corporate Collusion

17 points by mooreds 11 days ago | 1 comments

Microsoft Bundling Practices Focus of Federal Antitrust Probe (propublica.org)
The Federal Trade Commission is investigating Microsoft in a wide-ranging probe that will examine whether the company’s business practices have run afoul of antitrust laws, according to people familiar with the matter.

Antitrust, Microsoft, Business Practices

6 points by guerrilla 22 days ago | 0 comments

Google to court: we'll change our Apple deal, but please let us keep Chrome (theverge.com)
After its victory against Google in an antitrust trial earlier this year, the Department of Justice recently proposed a sweeping set of changes its search business.

Antitrust, Google, Chrome, Apple

10 points by techjamie 25 days ago | 1 comments

Germany's SPD Calls for Antitrust Act to Clip Elon Musk's Power (bloomberg.com)
A senior lawmaker from Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats railed against Elon Musk’s interference in German politics and called for a new antitrust act to constrain his influence in the corporate world.

Germany, Antitrust, Elon Musk, Politics, Business

8 points by 2OEH8eoCRo0 26 days ago | 1 comments

Google's counteroffer to the government is unbundling Android apps (theverge.com)
The Department of Justice’s list of solutions for fixing Google’s illegal antitrust behavior and restoring competition in the search engine market started with forcing the company to sell Chrome, and late Friday night, Google responded with a list of its own (included below).

Antitrust, Google, Android, Lawsuits, Competition

21 points by pseudolus 27 days ago | 7 comments

Google's counteroffer to govt trying to break it up is unbundling Android apps (theverge.com)
The Department of Justice’s list of solutions for fixing Google’s illegal antitrust behavior and restoring competition in the search engine market started with forcing the company to sell Chrome, and late Friday night, Google responded with a list of its own (included below).

Antitrust, Google, Android, Technology, Lawsuits

22 points by thunderbong 28 days ago | 2 comments

Mozilla: Proposals in US vs. Google threaten vital role of independent browsers (mozilla.org)
Giving people the ability to shape the internet and their experiences on it is at the heart of Mozilla’s manifesto. This includes empowering people to choose how they search.

Mozilla, Browsers, Competition, Antitrust, Google

64 points by botanical 30 days ago | 92 comments

Judge Blocks Kroger-Albertsons Mega-Merger (thebignewsletter.com)
Late this afternoon, Judge Adrienne Nelson issued a preliminary injunction blocking the $24 billion merger of grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons, leaving Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan with yet another big litigation win.

Business, Law, Antitrust

31 points by toomuchtodo 38 days ago | 15 comments

US antitrust watchdog launches broad Microsoft investigation (bloomberglaw.com)
The US Federal Trade Commission has opened an antitrust investigation of Microsoft Corp., drilling into everything from the company’s cloud computing and software licensing businesses to cybersecurity offerings and artificial intelligence products.

Antitrust, Microsoft, Business, Technology, Law

51 points by TowerTall 50 days ago | 13 comments

Canada Competition Bureau sues Google for anti-competitive conduct in online ads (canada.ca)
The Competition Bureau is taking legal action against Google for anti-competitive conduct in online advertising technology services in Canada. Following a thorough investigation, the Bureau has filed an application with the Competition Tribunal that seeks to remedy the conduct for the benefit of Canadians.

Antitrust, Google, Online Advertising, Canada

89 points by _aavaa_ 50 days ago | 40 comments

Microsoft Faces Broad Antitrust Investigation from US FTC (bloomberg.com)
The US Federal Trade Commission has opened an antitrust investigation of Microsoft Corp., drilling into everything from the company’s cloud computing and software licensing businesses to cybersecurity offerings and artificial intelligence products.

Antitrust, Microsoft, Business, Technology, Regulation

78 points by ndiddy 51 days ago | 67 comments

The Browser Choice Alliance (browserchoicealliance.org)
For the last decade, Microsoft has been using a variety of shifting tactics, including dark patterns and misleading user interfaces, to hinder consumers from reliably accessing their preferred browser or setting it as a default.

Browser Choice, Antitrust, Microsoft, User Experience, Technology

8 points by twapi 51 days ago | 4 comments

DOJ wraps up ad tech trial: Google is "three times" a monopolist (arstechnica.com)
One of the fastest monopoly trials on record wound down Monday, as US District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema heard closing arguments on Google's alleged monopoly in a case over the company's ad tech.

Antitrust, Google, Advertising, Law, Technology

10 points by belter 52 days ago | 2 comments

The 'Rocket Docket' Judge Who Will Decide the Fate of Google's Ad Technology (nytimes.com)
The ruling by a federal judge, Leonie Brinkema, in an antitrust case over Google’s advertising technology could add to the internet company’s woes.

Antitrust, Google, Law, Advertising, Technology

4 points by pseudolus 53 days ago | 1 comments

Apple ordered to open up in-app purchases in Brazil (techcrunch.com)
Brazil’s antitrust regulator Cade has ruled that Apple must lift restrictions on in-app purchases within 20 days, Reuters reports. Otherwise, if the iPhone maker doesn’t comply, it faces fines of $43,000 per day.

Apple, Antitrust, In-App Purchases, Brazil, Regulation

53 points by impish9208 53 days ago | 12 comments

U.S. Says Google Is an Ad Tech Monopolist, in Closing Arguments (nytimes.com)
Lawyers for the United States on Monday said that Google had created a monopoly with its services to place ads online, closing out an antitrust trial over the company’s dominance in advertising technology that could add to the Silicon Valley giant’s mounting woes.

Antitrust, Advertising, Google, Technology, Law

10 points by 2OEH8eoCRo0 53 days ago | 0 comments

Mozilla: DOJ's Plan for Chrome Risks Hurting Smaller Browsers (pcmag.com)
The Justice Department's proposal to force Google to rein in and even sell off its Chrome browser business may seem like a win for competitors such as Mozilla’s Firefox browser. But the company says the plan risks hurting smaller browsers.

Antitrust, Google, Browsers, Mozilla, Firefox

8 points by cpeterso 55 days ago | 0 comments

A 'potato cartel' conspired to make your frozen fries 47% more expensive (yahoo.com)
Multiple proposed class-action lawsuits filed this week allege that four frozen potato producers—Cavendish Farms, Lamb Weston, McCain Foods, and the J.R. Simplot Company—conspired and shared trade information to coordinate price increases in 2021.

Food Industry, Business, Antitrust, Lawsuits, Price Increases

13 points by mooreds 55 days ago | 0 comments

Texas Opens Investigation into Conspiracy to Boycott Certain Social Platforms (texasattorneygeneral.gov)
Attorney General Ken Paxton sent a civil investigative demand to the World Federation of Advertisers (“WFA”) as part of an ongoing investigation into a potential anticompetitive scheme to withhold advertising dollars from certain social media platforms.

Texas, Law Enforcement, Social Media, Antitrust

27 points by ianrahman 56 days ago | 41 comments

Google to sell Chrome and more, recommends US DOJ (pcgamer.com)

Google, Chrome, Antitrust, Law, Business

6 points by JSLegendDev 56 days ago | 1 comments

Mozilla Warns DOJ's Google Breakup Plan May Hurt Small Browser Makers (slashdot.org)

Mozilla, Google, Antitrust, Browser Competition, Technology

5 points by jmsflknr 57 days ago | 1 comments

DOJ proposal would require Google to divest from AI partnerships with Anthropic (bloomberg.com)
Alphabet Inc.’s Google would be forced to unwind its partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic if a federal judge accepts the US Justice Department’s proposal to resolve a landmark antitrust case over online search.

Antitrust, Artificial Intelligence, Google, Business, Law

111 points by donsupreme 57 days ago | 157 comments

Google Plummets Nearly 6% as DOJ Targets Chrome, Android in Monopoly Crackdown (yahoo.com)
The DOJ just dropped a bombshell on Alphabet, Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) parent company, calling for the divestiture of Chrome in a bold move to dismantle its alleged search monopoly.

Antitrust, Google, Technology, Lawsuits, Business

8 points by ____H____ 57 days ago | 1 comments

DOJ says Google must sell Chrome to crack open its search monopoly (theverge.com)
The Department of Justice says that Google must divest the Chrome web browser to restore competition to the online search market, and it left the door open to requiring the company to spin out Android, too.

Antitrust, Google, Search Engines, Technology, Law

28 points by jancurn 57 days ago | 41 comments