Associated Press
JetBlue’s $3.8 billion buyout of Spirit Airlines is blocked by judge citing threat to competition
CEI’s Jessica Melugin is cited on the Associated Press about the buyout of Spirit Airlines/Jet Blue buyout: “Blocking a merger of smaller…
News Release
Regulators block JetBlue/Spirit airlines merger, making it harder for small airlines to scale up and compete
After a federal judge today blocked a proposed $3.8 billion merger between JetBlue Airways Inc. and Spirit Airlines, ostensibly out of concern about…
Comment
FCC: Safeguarding and Securing the Open Internet, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 88 Fed. Reg. 76048
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (“CEI”) respectfully submits these comments in response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NPRM”) adopted on October 19, 2023, in…
Blog
Silver lining? New federal merger guidelines: 11 bad ideas instead of 13!
Today the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) jointly issued their final version of the 2023 Merger…
Comment
CEI Comments on Safeguarding and Securing the Open Internet
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (“CEI”) respectfully submits these comments in response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NPRM”) adopted on October 19, 2023, in…
Fox News
Why creating an international body for AI is a bad idea
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt recently re-upped his calls for a global body, akin to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), to advise…
News Release
Ex Google CEO’s Call for UN Organization Focused on Artificial Intelligence Would Be a “Historic Mistake”
At a forum on Artificial Intelligence in Washington today, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt endorsed the idea of an international body like the…
National Review
Biden Order on Artificial Intelligence Puts Too Much Faith in Regulators
President Biden’s executive order (EO) on artificial intelligence (AI) directs more than a dozen federal agencies to, among other things, “establish…
Blog
Justice Department ignores consumers, boosts Bing in Google antitrust trial
The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) case accusing Google of having and unlawfully maintaining a monopoly in search is in full swing in US…
News Release
Biden executive order on artificial intelligence will be a problem: CEI analysis
President Biden is reportedly poised to sign an executive order aimed at monitoring artificial intelligence technology and moving toward new regulations for AI. CEI experts…
News Release
FCC move to reinstate heavy-handed Net Neutrality regulations risks health of telecommunications infrastructure
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Jessica Rosenworcel announced her intention to re-instate so-called Net Neutrality rules that were repealed in 2018. The FCC issued…
News Release
FTC antitrust lawsuit against Amazon risks harming American consumers
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and 17 states filed a lawsuit today in federal court alleging antitrust violations by Amazon. The lawsuit seeks…
Washington Examiner
FTC hits Amazon with antitrust lawsuit accusing it of manipulating the online marketplace
Jessica Melugin is quoted in the Washington Examiner on Amazon’s Antitrust lawsuit: “Free markets require functioning markets,” Mr. Davis said. “This requires enforcement…
Comment
Comments of the Competitive Enterprise Institute
September 26, 2023 RE: Premerger Notification; Reporting and Waiting Period Requirements Docket ID No.: FTC-2023-0040-0001 On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise…
Comment
CEI Comments on FTC-DOJ Merger Guidelines
September 15, 2023 RE: FTC-DOJ Merger Guidelines Matter No.: P859910 The authors of this submission first want to thank the Federal…
News Release
DOJ Antitrust Lawsuit Against Google Would Protect Competing Search Engines, Not Consumers
This week, the trial resulting from the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) antitrust lawsuit against Google parent company Alphabet begins in a Washington, DC…
Fox News
Snapchat expands into AI with ‘Dreams’ tool: Tech frontiers ‘are messy places,’ expert warns
CEI’s Jessica Melugin is cited on Fox News about the AI Dream Tool: “We’ll see if people think this is super fun…
Fox News
We need to avoid a ‘ready, fire, aim!’ approach to AI regulation
The panic to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) came almost immediately after last fall’s release of ChatGPT popularized the technology with the public. Some…
National Review
Keep the FTC’s Hands off Artificial Intelligence
The general panic over artificial intelligence and the Federal Trade Commission’s aim to insert itself into every corner of the U.S. economy recently dovetailed in …
News Release
Court dismisses meritless FTC case, allows Microsoft-Activision merger to go ahead for now
A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Microsoft could proceed with its acquisition of Activision-Blizzard, despite the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) efforts to stop…
D.C. Journal
FTC Lawsuit Against Amazon’s Prime Is Poor Use of Limited Resources
The Federal Trade Commission is suing Amazon for allegedly tricking customers into signing up for the company’s Prime membership and making it difficult to…
National Review
FTC Continues War on Bigness by Opposing Microsoft Video-Game Acquisition
The FTC is doubling down on its opposition to Microsoft’s acquisition of video-game company Activision Blizzard by filing to block the merger in…
Blog
Lina Khan’s whole new level of economic bloodletting
The Biden administration in its Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy and, more pointedly, the Federal Trade Commission in many…
News Release
Surgeon General lacks evidence for warning against social media for young people
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy today issued a public advisory against alleged risks of social media use to the mental health…
Fox Business
VIDEO: CEI’S Jessica Melugin Joins Fox Business to Discuss Twitter’s New CEO and the ‘unintended consequences’ of Children Using A.I.
Competitive Enterprise Institute Center for Technology & Innovation director Jessica Melugin discusses Twitter’s new CEO and the ‘unintended consequences’ of children using A.I.
News Release
EU’s Massive Fine Against Meta Could End Up Harming European Consumers
The European Union announced a new enforcement actions today against Meta, the parent company of Facebook. The action penalizes Meta for data transfers…
The Washington Post
Social media’s effects on children are not yet clear
In their May 12 op-ed, “We must protect kids online,” Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.)…
News Release
Supreme Court Declines to Rule on Section 230, Leaving Protections for Third Party Content in Place
The Supreme Court today in Google v. Gonzales and Twitter v. Taamneh declined to rule on the meaning of Section 230 of…
News Release
CEI Expert Warns One-Size-Fits-All Regulation of Artificial Intelligence will Hamper Innovation, Invite Rent-Seeking
The Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony today from technology executives overseeing artificial intelligence (AI) programs. Those executives were asked about oversight of the…
Washington Examiner
Effort to limit children’s social media access draws bipartisan support in the Senate
Congressional efforts to regulate the internet to shield minors from harm online is an old story, going back to the…
News Release
EARN IT Act Would Have Dangerous Unintended Consequences for Consumers
The Senate Judiciary Committee is meeting today for a markup for S. 1207, the EARN IT Act of 2023. Director of CEI’s…
National Review
Politicians Are Squandering America’s Chance to Get It Right on TikTok
National-security concerns about the world’s most popular app, TikTok, might be legitimate, but addressing them is proving a master course in Washington dysfunction. Significant questions…
News Release
Senate Bill Upends Parental Right to Decide on Social Media Permissions for Children
New legislation put forward by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and Katie Britt (R-Ala.) today would establish…
News Release
UK Competition and Markets Authority Anti-Merger Ruling Undermines Consumer Interests
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is blocking Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of video game developer Activision Blizzard out of fear the…
News Release
Court Ruling for Apple in Antitrust Case Underscores Marketplace is Succeeding
Today a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel upheld a lower court finding that Apple App Store policies do not violate federal antitrust law.
Fox Business
AI tools such as ChatGPT are the hottest new trend for companies, but experts urge caution
Fox Business cites Director of the Center for Technology and Innovation Jessica Melugin on AI tools: According to Jessica…
Comment
CEI Comments on Non-Compete Clause Rule
On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), we respectfully submit comments regarding the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) proposed ban of non-compete agreements in…
News Release
Ideologically Driven Attack on Tech Mergers and Acquisitions Threatens Innovations for Consumers and U.S. Position as Global Tech Leader
In a new Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) study, technology policy expert Jessica Melugin writes that concern about “killer acquisitions” – a market leader…
Study
M&As Are A-Okay
Fretting about “killer acquisitions” and “kill zones” is common among regulators in Washington these days, but entrepreneurs and investors at work in the tech…
News Release
FTC Antitrust Overreach Threatens Health of Americans at Risk of Cancer Diagnosis
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today ordered Illumina to unwind its acquisition of Grail, a $7 billion deal that would add an early…
News Release
RESTRICT Act Threatens Americans’ First Amendment Rights
Debate in Congress over calls to ban Chinese social media platform TikTok has led to the introduction of the RESTRICT Act by Senator Mark…
Letters
Coalition Letter on TPA BEAD funding oversight
The Honorable John Thune Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation United States Senate…
Blog
When the Policy is This Bad, Politics Might Be the Only Explanation
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently proposed a tech agenda as his “Digital Bill of Rights” for the state’ blessedly short 60-day legislative session. While…
Comment
CEI Comments on FCC’s Preventing Digital Discrimination Noticed of Proposed Rulemaking
Before the Federal Communications Commission Washington, D.C. 20024 Comments of the Competitive Enterprise Institute In the Matter of))Federal Communications Commission)FCC-22-98)GN…
Blog
Trust, but Verify via Congressional Oversight
Is the Federal Trade Commission’s request that Twitter hand over the names of “all journalists and other members of the media to whom” the…
Blog
Some Things are Just Business, Not Politics – and That’s a Good Thing
The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) was the predictable venue for Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy to portrait DirecTV’s recent decision to stop carrying the…
Blog
Trust, but Verify via Congressional Oversight
Is the Federal Trade Commission’s request that Twitter hand over the names of “all journalists and other members of the media to whom” the…
Blog
Collusion Is Harmful and Illegal—Except When a Federal Agency Does It?
The Wall Street Journal reports today, thanks to FOIA requests by the Chamber of Commerce, that it appears the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)…
News Release
New CEI Paper Warns Against Turning Back the Clock on Antitrust Merger Guidelines
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) published a new paper today reviewing the evolution of merger screening at federal antitrust agencies and warning…
National Review
Not-So-Quietly Quitting: Wilson’s Resignation a Canary in the Coal Mine of the FTC
FTC commissioner Christine Wilson made the most of her resignation announcement in the pages of the Wall Street Journal. Her…
Testimony
Written Testimony Regarding the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing on February 16, 2023 titled “Bringing Transparency and Accountability to Pharmacy Benefit Managers”
The Honorable Maria Cantwell ChairCommittee on Commerce, Science, and TransportationU.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Ted Cruz Ranking MemberCommittee on Commerce, Science,…
Blog
State of the Union: Heavy-Handed Tech Regulation Fails to Appeal to Many Democratic Voters
President Biden should take advantage of breaking spy balloon news to talk about that—or anything else—instead of re-upping calls for regulation aimed at big…
Blog
FTC Should Not Trade Consumer Welfare for an Antitrust Crystal Ball
News Release
CEI TV Ad “Versus” to Run Sunday During NBC’s Meet the Press as Part of Eye on FTC Campaign
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) will run a 30 second television ad as part of its Eye on FTC campaign on…
The Well News
Justice Dept. Sues Google Again Alleging Monopolistic Ad Tactics
Google was joined in criticizing the Justice Department by Jessica Melugin, the director for technology and innovation at the Washington,…
News Release
CEI Launches “Eye on FTC” Campaign to Raise Awareness of Agency Overreach and Lack of Transparency
WASHINGTON—The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) launched a new “Eye on FTC” educational campaign today to raise awareness about overreach and a…
News Release
Why DOJ’s Antitrust Suit Against Google’s Digital Ad Business Misses the Mark
The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit against Google today, a division of parent company Alphabet, alleging the company has a monopoly over…
National Review
The FTC Soda Wars
The Federal Trade Commission’s new probe into the pricing practices of Coke and Pepsi is the latest step in the agency’s march away from protecting…
Fox Business
VIDEO: CEI’s Jessica Melugin Joins Fox Business to Discuss McCarthy’s Actions as Speaker & Big Tech Collusion
Director of the Center for Technology & Innovation Jessica Melugin reacts to Kevin McCarthy’s decision to remove Dems from committees and White House-FBI-Big Tech…
News Release
House GOP Oversight of Alleged Collusion Between Government and Technology Companies More Productive than Anti-Tech Legislation
The new Republican House Majority will reportedly charge a new select committee with providing oversight of communications about content moderation decisions between technology…
Blog
The Federal Trade Commission Is in Dire Need of an Intervention
In recent years, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has become increasingly aggressive in its antitrust actions and policies. This expansion will be harmful to…
Barrons
Opinion: Two App Stores Don’t Make a Monopoly
Elon Musk and others’ complaints about the fees Apple and Google ‘s App Stores charge developers are putting…
National Review
Antitrust’s Cloudy Crystal Ball
Even in the wake of Meta’s biggest mass layoff ever and a $71 billion loss this year, antitrust regulators around the world are peering into…
YouTube
CEI’s Jessica Melugin Joins Fox Business to Discuss Elon Musk and FTX
Lars Larson
Facebook Learns The Lesson: Go Woke, Go Broke!
Newt's World
Audio: Jessica Melugin Discusses Twitter and Facebook layoffs with Newt Gingrich
Director for the Center for Technology and Innovation Jessica Melugin joined the Newt’s World podcast to discuss the recent Twitter and Facebook layoffs and…
National Review
The Supreme Court Gets Another Chance to Rein in the Administrative State
The Constitution vests its executive power in the president of the United States. But in the 1935 case of Humphrey’s Executor v. U.S., the Supreme Court…
YouTube
CEI’s Jessica Melugin Joins Fox Business to Discuss Elon Musk and Twitter
News Release
Union Risks Job Loss in Bid to Stop Kroger/Albertsons Merger, Warn CEI Antitrust Experts
Four local chapters of the United Food and Commercial Workers International representing some 100,000 workers are reportedly lobbying regulators and lawmakers to oppose the…
News Release
Kroger Merger with Albertsons Would Allow More Competitive Pressure on Other Market Leaders
Kroger announced a deal today to merge with Albertsons, which would combine the nations’ two largest chains of grocery stores into one company.
Fox Business
Elon Musk says Twitter purchase ‘accelerant’ to creating X, ‘the everything app’
Fox Business spoke with Jessica Melugin on Elon Musk purchase of Twitter: Watch the latest video at foxbusiness.com Click here…
Blog
Gonzales v. Google: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Algorithms
Today the Supreme Court agreed to hear Gonzales v. Google, LLC, a case that evaluates how broadly the liability protection is for platforms…
Politico
Twitter Whistleblower Faces the Senate. Then What?
Politico cites Director for the Center for Technology and Innovation Jessica Melugin on congressional hearings on the tech industry: “I am…
News Release
Judge Rules Illumina-Grail Merger is Legal Despite FTC Antitrust Accusations
In a decision reached today, an administrative judge ruled that a proposed merger between Illumnia and Grail can proceed after ruling against a…
National Interest
Anti-Trust Bills Will Harm U.S. Consumers and National Security
Proposed antitrust bills aimed at Big Tech will inadvertently put individual users and national security at risk. Three policies within the proposed legislation are especially…
News Release
House Republican-Led Investigation into TikTok Data Practices Highlights Concerns with Blurred Lines Between Private Entities and Government
WASHINGTON—Two senior House Republicans announced a national security-focused investigation into TikTok today. Rep. James Comer (R-KY), ranking member of the House Oversight and…
Real Clear Policy
US Should Learn From Europe’s Damaging Tech Regulations
Final European Parliament approval of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the Digital Services Act (DSA) last week…
National Review
U.K. Regulator Deservedly Loses Case against Meta
The recent announcement of the final verdict in the U.K.’s case to block Meta’s acquisition of GIF library Giphy is a partial victory…
National Review
Regulators’ Misguided Crackdown on Nicotine Products and Their Makers
Federal agencies must really love black markets. Last week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a plan to limit nicotine in…
Blog
Current Antitrust Proposals No “Laffing” Matter
A new report by Laffer Associates released today, Read ‘Em and Weep: How the American Innovation and Choice Online Act (S. 2992) and…
National Review
How the New FTC Majority Will Rewrite Antitrust Laws without Congress
As time runs out for major antitrust legislation on Capitol Hill, the Federal Trade Commission emerges as the last, best hope for neo-Brandeisians looking for…
National Review
Don’t Follow Europe on Tech Regulation
Policy-makers in the EU are about to finalize new digital-platform rules, many of which mirror U.S. proposals currently stalled in Congress. Like past European tech…
Washington Examiner
What Elon Musk gets wrong about Apple App Store fees
Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter has some in the throes of ecstasy and others fearing a social media apocalypse. But, whatever happens, it’s good news that…
National Review
After Elon Musk’s Takeover of Twitter, Will Conservatives Learn to Love Section 230?
Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter has many on the political right hopeful that, once under his control, the site will take down…
The Washington Examiner
What Elon Musk gets wrong about Apple App Store fees
Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter has some in the throes of ecstasy and others fearing a social media apocalypse. But, whatever happens, it’s good news that…
Blog
Elon vs. the Regulators
A $43 billion sale of Twitter to Elon Musk looks more and more like a done deal. Depending on who you ask, Musk…
Letters
CEI Joins Coalition Opposing Weaponizing Antitrust Law
Dear Senator, Despite full control of Congress and President Joe Biden in the Oval Office, the Democratic Party finds many of its top…
Comment
Comments to the Federal Trade Commission Regarding Forthcoming Merger Guideline Revisions
Comment Period Closes: April 21, 2022 Comment Submitted: April 3, 2022 Docket No. FTC-2022-0003-0001 On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise Institute…
Blog
“Letter” Rip: The Justice Department Would Like More Power, Please
In its first backing of specific antirust legislation, the Justice Department (DOJ) sent a letter in support of the American Innovation and…
Real Clear Policy
Conservatives Will Rue the Day They ‘Common Carrier’ Social Media
Real Clear Policy cites Senior Attorney Dan Greenburg and Director of the Center for Technology & Innovation Jessica Melugin’s paper arguing against regulating social…
The Washington Examiner
Biden’s Executive Order Marks the Government’s Initial Foray into Cryptocurrency
The regulatory future of cryptocurrency looks uncertain in Washington, but there is growing acceptance that blockchain finance is here to stay. President Joe…
News Release
Regulating Social Media Companies as Common Carriers Would Undermine User Experience Online
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) published a new paper today making the case against regulating social media platforms as common carriers. In…
Study
Don’t Confuse the Platform with the Train
Executive Summary Should social media companies be regulated like common carriers? To answer that question, this paper describes the functions and origins of social…
Blog
All Social Media Will Need to Moderate Content
Roughly a year after being booted off the most popular social media networks, former President Trump launched his own digital platform last weekend,…
National Review
With Inflation Rising, Why Punish Companies Seeking to Lower Prices?
In a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed, a venture capital investor in the e-commerce firms Deliverr and Wish calls for breaking up Amazon…
Blog
Staying the Course for Liberty
At the Competitive Enterprise Institute, we focus on policy issues ranging from tech and telecommunications to energy and the environment to financial regulation and…
Blog
Don’t EARN IT
Bad policy made with good intentions still delivers poor results. That is the case with the Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive…
Blog
Protect Consumers, Not Competitors
The Open App Markets Act (S. 2710) is the latest in a parade of antitrust legislation aimed at reining in “big tech” companies…
The Washington Examiner
Bill Targeting Big Tech Advanced Out of a Senate Committee on Bipartisan Vote
In what could be the most significant step toward regulating Big Tech, a bipartisan bill to change online shopping dramatically is moving ahead in…
Real Clear Policy
It Should Be the End of the Line for the Senate Antitrust Bill
The American Innovation and Choice Online Act, which advanced out of the Senate Judiciary committee after a markup last Thursday, will hurt U.S. consumers…