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U.S. regulators wary of Big Tech swallowing startups

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U.S. regulators wary of Big Tech swallowing startups

Big tech? That what big companies do.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

"Wary", a decade too late. I'm sure you've noticed being "regulators" and all, that the main goal of startups today is to be bought by big tech.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

This story is about Google.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

The tech companies are scared witless of Ms. Kahn because she knows their game inside and out. They can't fool her. They won't be able to get any of their lies past her like they could with some of her predecessors.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

They all just buy other companies now instead of building their own products

It has become all about the current leaders buying up the up and comers along with their new technologies before the up and comers can become effective competitors. The existing leaders don't want to work hard to compete when they have enough money to simply buy their competitors out. It's about limiting competition. It has to stop.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Well both (FTC & BigTech) are left aligned, this as such is all wishy washy.. now if this was serious, Ms Khan should first target Section 230 .. but that will never happen.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Small companies and start-ups want (and sometimes need) to be bought up by big tech to get access to patent rights for their products and services, and to integrate them into larger platforms. If you get eaten by FB, your user base swells to the size of FB's. And it is pay day, for companies that struggle to obtain VC. Large companies have older, less innovative staff and are increasingly lawyer-led. As they get bigger they lose focus and innovation becomes tougher. They need to buy it in.

The down side is that they dominate tech long term, making it difficult for any small company to become a really big player and competitor.

Ironically, after supporting US (and global) growth and US soft power for decades, as the US government targets GAFA and clips their wings, the real beneficiaries will be foreign companies seeking to replace them. Japan, South Korea and India are well-placed for this, with SoftBank funding. The Americans are curtailing their own strength, Brexit-style.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

There are limits to opening up tech as platform compatibility tends to see an 80/20 duopoly in many services. This is natural, not a problem that needs fixing. Tech has always tended to this sort of split.

If the USG really want to open GAFA up to competition without breaking everything, ban exclusivity in patents.

Big companies share patents on a quid pro quo basis but use ownership of them and patent rings to lock out smaller competitors. Patents were originally intended to ensure that originators earned from their ideas. Without exclusivity, anyone could use a patent and need only pay dues if their product becomes a success. Patent stashes would still have value, but could not be used as a weapon against smaller competitors.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Well both (FTC & BigTech) are left aligned,

Are you sure? If you look at their political donations Google and Facebook are both strongly right aligned.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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