In recent years, Big Tech has been on the defensive following antitrust suits against Google, Facebook, Amazon and Apple.
But after “a slap on the wrist” for Google, and the dismissal of claims against Facebook on Tuesday, Northeastern University law and technology experts say that lawsuits may not be the most effective way to check Big Tech.
“It may be that the court is not the right venue for these issues to be solved, we may need regulations or another law,” said John Kwoka, Neal F. Finnegan distinguished professor of economics at Northeastern.
Elletra Bietti, assistant professor of law and computer science at Northeastern, concurred. Both she and Kwoka noted that the United States has no equivalent to the Digital Markets Act — the European Union’s regulations for large online “gatekeeper” companies that aim to proactively ensure a fair and competitive digital market.
