Consumers get forgotten in all the politics. The best way to protect consumers is to protect an open, competitive market process, in which companies succeed or fail based not on their political connections or ideological correctness, but on how well they serve consumers.
Antitrust regulation’s problems are structural and incurable. The Competitive Enterprise Institutes advocates abolishing antitrust law, removing remaining government monopolies, and preventing the creation of new ones.
Featured Posts
Blog
Regulators right to approve Capital One/Discover merger
On Friday, federal financial regulators made the right decision in approving the merger of Capital One and Discover. In their joint approvals of the merger,…
News Release
Decision in Google antitrust case a major blow for online competitiveness: CEI analysis
On Thursday, a federal court ruled that Google violated antitrust law by maintaining a monopoly over online advertising. CEI experts caution about the precedent and…
Blog
The One Agency Act, so hot right now
The 119th Congress has reignited old conversations regarding antitrust enforcement in the US. Namely, do we need two agencies to enforce the antitrust laws? Rep.
Search Posts
News Release
CEI: Consumers Will Suffer if AT&T-Time Warner Merger is Delayed or Scuttled
Yesterday, the Department of Justice appealed a courts’ decision to approve the AT&T-Time Warner merger in a filing with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Blog
A Quick Lesson in Antitrust: Netflix and Comcast
Every time a major corporate merger is announced, pundits predictably warn of impending doom if regulators allow it to happen. Yet, pundits and regulators don’t know any…
Letters
CEI Joins Coalition Letter in Support of T-Mobile Sprint Merger
We understand that the Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights of the Committee on the Judiciary will hold a hearing on June 27…
Saudi Gazette
High-Stakes Ruling Awaited On AT&T-Time Warner Merger
Saudi Gazette cited Clyde Wayne Crews on the inadequacy of government for responding to growing competition against traditional media outlets, which has been exacerbated by…
News Release
CEI Commends Judge’s Approval of AT&T-Time Warner Deal in Antitrust Lawsuit
Today, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon approved the AT&T-Time Warner merger. Judge Leon rejected the Justice Department’s argument in its antitrust lawsuit aimed at blocking…
Forbes
What the AT&T-Time Warner Merger Decision Means for U.S. Regulation
President Donald Trump's moves to streamline federal regulation and unleash infrastructure have in some ways been unprecedented. But some developments could undermine or swamp the…
Blog
Congress Should Reform Antitrust Law with SMARTER Act
When an American company wishes to merge with or acquire another company, reaching an agreement that satisfies both firms’ owners and managers is not always…
Blog
A New Bibliography for the Platform Economy
The future has arrived, and it is a radically different economy. Havas Media’s Tom Goodwin pointed out in 2015, “Uber, the world’s largest taxi…
Blog
Zuckerberg Testimony Hints at Devil’s Bargain with Big Government
Much of the political class in Washington, D.C. is currently holding its breath for the big event of the week: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s long-awaited…
Blog
Consumers Lose in European Union’s Struggle against Google
Anti-technology hysteria continues to build in the European Union. Margrethe Vestager, the European Commissioner for Competition, confirmed today that she is still considering breaking…
Fox Business
Dropbox IPO Shows Tech Upstarts Still Have It
The long-awaited initial public offering (IPO) by Dropbox, Inc. was a success, shares soared about 40% in the debut. The pop also tells us a…
Blog
Gains from Automation Create Path to Greater Prosperity
Automation has become somewhat of a dirty word recently. Fear of mass unemployment and widening inequality has led to calls for greater regulations of technology…
Blog
Online Sales Tax Bill a Small-Business Killing Tax Hike
The Wall Street Journal editorial board was entirely correct yesterday when they said, “Republicans have spent the last year cutting taxes and regulations, which…
Blog
The Supreme Court Case That Would Catch the Law Up to Economic Reality
As more and more services move into platform business models as the lower transaction costs they facilitate increase consumer welfare, platform firms need assurance…
Variety
AT&T-Time Warner Merger: Does the DOJ Have a Case?
Variety quoted Ted Frank and Frank Bednarz on the impact that fear of large business firms has on the Department of Justice and the results…
The New York Times
Justice Department Sues to Block AT&T-Time Warner Merger
The New York Times cited Ryan Radia on lack of impact which the AT&T-Time Warner merger would pose to any distinct market. The…
Investor's Business Daily
A Tale Of Two Decisions: Trump Administration Got Antitrust Wrong, But Net Neutrality Right
Investor’s Business Daily quoted Frank Bednarz on emerging sentiments held by lawyers recently emerging from Law School which consider the centralization of industrialization to be…
CNN
Some Politicians and Advocacy Groups Cautiously Praise DOJ’s AT&T Lawsuit
CNN cited Ryan Radia on the lack of impact a merger between the merger of AT&T-Time Warner and the merger being a vertical transaction which…
Blog
Theory and Practice Argue We Should Abolish Antitrust Laws
Laws about competition should be restricted to laws preventing government from playing favorites. Government-erected barriers against competition or innovation need to be torn down. As…
National Review
Misplaced Trust in Antitrust
I was mystified to see Robert VerBruggen’s story in the latest issue calling for “gentle approaches” to solving what he regards as a monopoly…
The Washington Times
Conservatives Fear More Left-Leaning Media With AT&T, Time Warner Merger
The Washington Times quotes Wayne Crews on the traditional importance of deregulation in communications for conservative policy and how traditional media conglomerates are losing influence…
Blog
Antitrust Resurgence Could Transform Tech Innovators into Lumbering Public Utilities
Regulation in the technology sector is worse than government merely picking winners and losers.
Blog
Who Will Regulate Tom Wheeler?
When free competition suffers, it is government intervention that is the problem, not the companies doing the competing.
Blog
Disney and Fox Merger Will Boost Competition; That’s Good for Everyone
The Walt Disney Company has come to an agreement to buy most of 21st Century Fox’s assets for $52.4 billion, but before the deal…
CNBC
VIDEO: Ryan Radia Discusses Disney-21st Century Fox Deal on CNBC
Ryan Radia, Research Fellow and Regulatory Counsel at CEI, joined CNBC’s Power Lunch to discuss the Disney – 21st Century Fox merger and how…
Litigation
CEI v. FCC
After nearly a year and a half without response from the agency, the Competitive Enterprise Institute is representing individuals taking the Federal Communications Commission to…
HowStuffWorks
Why Is Amazon Not Considered a Monopoly?
HowStuffWorks discusses Amazon with Marc Scribner. How big is too big? That’s the question that economists and policymakers are asking about Amazon, the…
Letters
CEI Joins Coalition Urging Rejection of Tariffs on Washing Machines
VIEW FULL DOCUMENT AS PDF Dear Mr. President and Ambassador Lighthizer: On behalf of the undersigned organizations, representing millions of American taxpayers,…
The Daily Caller
Eco-Billionaire Tom Steyer Is Noticeably Absent from Fight Against Solar Tariff Push
The Daily Caller discusses solar tariffs. Billionaire green energy champion Tom Steyer has been strangely silent about a slew of trade tariffs analysts believe…
Blog
This Thanksgiving, I’m Thankful for Hysterical Net Neutrality Advocates
Do you want private entities in a marketplace in charge or do you want government regulators calling the shots?…
Forbes
Online Gambling — None of Washington’s Business (But Its Enemies Don’t Care)
George Leef writing for Forbes cites Michelle Minton’s work on online gambling. One of the things that gives capitalism a bad name is the way…
Blog
Trump the Hipster? AT&T, Time Warner, and Hipster Antitrust
When antitrust law no longer focuses on consumer welfare, and when vague concerns about the bigness of firms are actionable, regulators have a free hand…
Blog
Predictable Attempts to Extend Government Control over Internet Content
Technology companies should take this opportunity to fight against harmful government restriction on business practices, innovation, and investment. The future of the Internet depends on it.
Blog
Tear Down the Wall Between Banking and Commerce
The separation of commerce and banking has little relevance in the 21st century.
Letters
Open Letter to President Trump: Avoid Trade Restrictions on Solar Panels
VIEW FULL DOCUMENT AS PDF Dear President Trump, On behalf of the undersigned organizations, representing millions of Americans, we urge you to…
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Think Tank Releasing Report on New Jersey Challenge to Sports Betting Act
Las Vegas Review-Journal covers Michelle Minton’s “Let States Regulate Sports Gambling within their Borders.” When the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments on the…
Augusta Free Press
American Sports Betting Coalition Details Benefits of Legalized Sports Betting at Capitol Hill Briefing
Augusta Free Press covers the American Sports Betting Coalition’s efforts on Capitol Hill to advocate for legalizing sports betting. The American Gaming Association and…
Blog
No Reason for Denying Puerto Rico a Jones Act Waiver
The Trump administration should immediately grant a Jones Act waiver to Puerto Rico and Congress should fully repeal the maritime cabotage prohibition.
Foundation for Economic Education
London’s Uber Ban Sends it Back to the Dark Ages
When I lived in London in the 1990s, I had to use pricey Black Cabs to get around the city at night. However, heaven help…
InsideSources
Three Early Lessons From the Equifax Hack
InsideSources covers the Equifax breach and Jim Harper‘s response to it. It’s been almost two weeks since Equifax reported the hack of 143…
Foundation for Economic Education
Eventually Amazon Will Fail – and That’s a Good Thing
The Federal Trade Commission has cleared the merger between Amazon and Whole Foods, sparking yet more fears that the retail giant is becoming too…
Blog
Restore Economic Opportunity by Repealing Occupational Licensing Rules
To increase growth, we need to get rid of some of the unnecessary barriers to economic opportunity that have arisen in recent years – such…
The Daily Caller
RAWA: One Casino Billionaire’s Quest to Kill Internet Gambling
The Daily Caller covers the Restoration of America’s Wire Act and cites a paper written by Michelle Minton on the subject. Enter the…
Washington Examiner
Shift to E-Commerce Is Saving Time, Creating Jobs
Washington Examiner cites Anna St. John’s piece on a class action suit involving the Metropolitan Museum of Art and how similar suits can harm cultural…
OneNewsNow
Up for Debate: Is Amazon Getting Too Big?
OneNewsNow discusses the Amazon-Whole Foods deal with Iain Murray. A free market strategist says consumers shouldn’t worry about Amazon gaining a monopoly on…
News Release
CEI Calls European Union Ruling and Fine in Antitrust Case Against Google “Flawed”
In a landmark ruling on Tuesday, the European Union fined Alphabet Inc’s Google, a record $2.7 billion dollars, for favoring its own search entity…
Washington Examiner
No, Amazon Isn’t a Monopoly Just Because It Bought Whole Foods
Amazon announced a deal last week to purchase the grocery chain Whole Foods for nearly $14 billion. The company’s largest proposed transaction to date,…
News Release
CEI Comments on Amazon’s Plan to Buy Whole Foods
Amazon’s recent announcement of its plan to buy the grocery chain Whole Foods has set off a series of questions and speculation. CEI experts on…
Los Angeles Times
Let Richard Branson Kill United Airlines
Los Angeles Times highlights Marc Scribner’s comments on how government policy has lead to poor airline service. Yes, airlines on the continent come…
Blog
Restraint, Humility Needed at Federal Trade Commission
As President Trump evaluates candidates to chair the Federal Trade Commission, he should look for a person who appreciates the importance of letting markets evolve…
Blog
FCC Could Move Soon on Long-Delayed CEI Cable Merger Petition
Chairman Ajit Pai has signaled that the FCC may revise conditions on the Charter cable merge, hopefully granting a long-delayed CEI petition in the process.
Blog
AT&T-Time Warner Deal Highlights Need for FCC Reform
Interference by Democratic senators in the merger of AT&T and Time Warner is a reminder of the need to reform the FCC’s authority to regulate…
Study
Resale Pricing in the Contact Lens Industry
View Full Document as PDF More than 30 million Americans wear contact lenses. In recent years, contact lens technology has improved, offering…
Blog
How Ridesharing Platforms Help the Economy
We have been saying for a while that ridesharing platforms like Lyft are different from traditional transportation firms, not just in the technology they use,…
Blog
Dueling Narratives on the AT&T-Time Warner “Mega Merger”
This weekend AT&T and Time Warner announced a merger deal and it didn't take long for critics on the left to begin making concerned statements…
Forbes
Republicans and Democrats Unite Against $86 Billion AT&T-Time Warner Merger Deal
In a response to earlier media mergers such as Comcast-NBCUniversal, and in an effort to adapt to a world in which consumers increasingly turn away…
Blog
Facebook Makes the Case for “Free Basics” Internet Access
Facebook is lobbying the White House for the government’s blessing to offer its “Free Basics” service in the United States, according to a story reported…
Blog
Federal Communications Commission Delays Vote on Cable Box Rules
How would the proposed rules change cable set-top boxes?…
Blog
CEI Files Opening Brief in TSA Body Scanner Lawsuit
Yesterday, CEI, The Rutherford Institute, and two CEI employees (VP of Strategy Iain Murray and yours truly) filed our opening brief against the Transportation Security…
Blog
New Drug Price Proposal Light on Competition, Heavy on Bureaucracy
Last Friday, Hillary Clinton announced a new plan to “respond to unjustified price hikes” on certain pharmaceutical drugs.
Forbes
Antitrust Regulation And The 2016 Party Platform Debates
Having never been a fan of antitrust protectionism, I found it interesting that (according to Bloomberg) while Democrats are highlighting antitrust in their…
Blog
RealClear Radio Hour: Common Sense Economics
At CEI’s 2016 annual dinner—A Night in Casablanca!—in DC, I caught up with three interesting gentlemen for a dose of common sense economics.
Blog
FCC Could end up “Protecting” Consumers from Cheaper Internet Access
Net neutrality proponents have seen their lines splinter over the issue of “zero rating,” the practice of not counting data used to access certain sites…
New York Times
Dodd-Frank Is Hurting Those Who Had Nothing to Do With the Financial Crisis
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act has done too little to address the real causes of the financial crisis and too much…
American Thinker
Competitive Enterprise Institute subpoenaed in global warming ‘fraud’ investigation
The American Thinker reports on the subpoena an attorney general sent CEI in an effort to silence the debate on climate change. The Competitive…
Law360
Alaska Air, Virgin America Face Bumpy Antitrust Ride
CEI Fellow Marc Scribner speaks to Law360 about a proposed merger between Alaska Air and Virgin America: “If you look at their…
Blog
UnChartered Cronyism: The FCC’s Attempts to Block Cable Merger
When you hear about “crony capitalism,” what comes to mind? The Export-Import Bank? The ethanol mandate? Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? Tax credits and loan…
Blog
ABI MillerCoors Merger Won’t Harm the Craft Beer Movement
The folks at Food & Water Watch are pissed. And I don’t mean “pissed” as in drunk; they are mad as hell about the proposed…
Blog
The FTC Targets Apple Music: Part III
This is the third in a series of essays on the FTC’s investigation of Apple Music. In Part II of this series, we demonstrated that, even…
Blog
The FTC Targets Apple Music: Part II
This is the second in a series of essays on the FTC’s investigation of Apple Music. Part I discussed the reason for the FTC’s investigation as…
Blog
The FTC Targets Apple Music: Part I
When launching a new product, the goal is to create excitement, as any company will tell you. But Apple’s newly launched music streaming service, Apple…
Blog
CEI Statements on the Failed Comcast-Time Warner Merger
CEI responded to the news that the Comcast-Time Warner merger failed. You can read more analysis from CEI's Vice President for Policy Wayne Crews here.
Blog
Comcast-Time Warner Cable Merger Derailed
Today we’ve learned again that bureaucrats and their enormous kingdoms come before consumer welfare. The collapse of the Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger merely because of the interference of government,…
Citation
Ryan Radia Talks to BBC Radio about Google Antitrust Charges
Listen to Ryan Radia’s full BBC interview here The European Commission brought antitrust charges against Google in a formal complaint on April 15,…
Blog
Premature Capitulation?
Over the decades I’ve spent in this Heart of Darkness (a.k.a., the bowels of American politics), I’ve learned two lessons that have encouraged the steady…
Blog
STB Reauthorization Bill Threatens Rail Investment
The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation has scheduled a markup for tomorrow afternoon of the Surface Transportation Board (STB) Reauthorization Act (S.2777). If…
Blog
Duplicative New Affirmative-Action Rule Drives Up Taxpayer Costs and Restricts Competition
Does it make sense to require a park campground operator that has a few hundred employees at 120 different locations to come up with 120…
Letters
Economists’ Letter to FCC Chairman Wheeler on Competition
Full Document Available in PDF Introduction Congratulations on your confirmation…
Washington Examiner
Not-so-friendly skies: Deregulation didn’t fail, it was never really tried
Anderson said that, although the 1978 Airline Deregulation Act eliminated the Civilian Aeronautics Board, the DOJ attorneys to this day use the old CAB antitrust…
Forbes
The American/US Airways Case Highlights The Absurdity Of Antitrust Regulation
“If the airlines have a history of anti-competitive behavior, they are the least able practitioners of the art in the history of mankind.” This was…
Investor's Business Daily
Shutdown Grounds Lawyers In US Air, American Case
Marc Scribner, analyst at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a libertarian think tank, earlier said: "American, if it isn't able to merge with US Air, is…
Investor's Business Daily
US Air, AMR Vow To Fight DOJ Lawsuit To Block Merger
"This administration's Department of Justice has a different posture than past DOJs, which had a more conservative approach to antitrust measures," said Marc Scribner, transportation…
Las Vegas Review Journal
Government moves to block airline merger, warns of higher fares, fees
But the open-market-leaning Competitive Enterprise Institute called the Department of Justice action “deeply misguided.” “On the heels of the successful Delta-Northwest and United-Continental mergers,…
News Release
Adverse District Court Opinion on Dodd-Frank Deeply Flawed, Case Now on Appeal
Washington, D.C., August 2, 2013 – A federal judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit brought by CEI, 11 state attorneys general, and the State National…
Las Vegas Review Journal
Google Antitrust Case Could Come From FTC by End of 2012: Report
From Todd R. Weiss’ article in eWeek: The settlement was criticized by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, an industry group, as “a dangerously overbroad…
Investors
Apple Investors Shrug Off E-Book Antitrust Lawsuit
From Patrick Seitz' article in Investor's Business Daily: The Competitive Enterprise Institute said the Justice Department made a mistake in taking legal action…
Investors
Why Is Apple Getting Cored in Washington?
What should be the price of the paperless word, now that books are going digital in one of the most important transformations in history? Steve…
News Release
Justice Department Should Drop Apple Lawsuit
Washington, D.C., April 11, 2012—The Justice Department sued Apple and several publishers today, alleging the firms colluded over e-book pricing. CEI policy experts Wayne…
Orange County Register
EDITORIAL: Don’t Throw the E-Book at Apple
From The Orange County Register's editorial: So far, the ebook market actually is dominated by Amazon.com's Kindle device, Ryan Radia told us; he's…
Orange County Register
Consumers Lose in Blocked Cellphone Merger
The Orange County Register discusses antitrust regulation on digital companies with Wayne Crews. The opposite is true. "One of the worst aspects of this…
Orange County Register
Government Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Itself
News Release
Senators Push for Antitrust Investigation Into Google
Washington, D.C., December 20, 2011—Yesterday, U.S. Senators Herb Kohl (D-WI) and Mike Lee (R-UT) urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to launch a thorough antitrust…
Orange County Register
Enron Bankruptcy 10 Years Later: Before Bailouts Were Big
Tech News World
Europe Weary of Apple, Samsung Patent War
Ecomerce Times
Gates Tells Jury Microsoft’s No Bully
Ecomerce Times
Full Privatization of GM Cannot Come Soon Enough
Ecomerce Times
Long Live the Limited Liability Corporation
What does it mean when angry mobs take to the streets not to protest against the specific corporations and politicians that teamed up to loot…
Ecomerce Times
Google And The Antitrust Case Against Antitrust
Now that the economy has recovered to robust health and unemployment is back below 5%, the U.S. Senate has ample time and resources to spend…
Orange County Register
Cellphone Merger a Good Call
Ecomerce Times
AT&T May Have to Break Out Its Dancing Shoes
Staff & Scholars
Richard Morrison
Senior Fellow
- Antitrust
- Business and Government
- Capitalism and Free Enterprise
Iain Murray
Vice President for Strategy and Senior Fellow
- Banking and Finance
- Trade and International
Clyde Wayne Crews
Fred L. Smith Fellow in Regulatory Studies
- Business and Government
- Consumer Freedom
- Deregulation
Ryan Young
Senior Economist
- Antitrust
- Business and Government
- Regulatory Reform
Jessica Melugin
Director of the Center for Technology & Innovation
- Antitrust
- Innovation
- Media, Speech and Internet Freedoms
Alex Reinauer
Research Fellow
- Antitrust
- Innovation
- Tech and Telecom