Monopolies and Tech Giants: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review

 

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IS LACK OF COMPETITION STRANGLING THE U.S. ECONOMY?

by David Wessel

Despite their undeniable popularity, Apple, Amazon, Google, and Facebook are drawing increasing scrutiny from economists, legal scholars, politicians, and policy wonks, who accuse these firms of using their size and strength to crush potential competitors. (Their clout caught the attention of European regulators long ago.) The tech giants pose unique challenges, but they also represent just one piece of a broader story: a troubling phenomenon of too little competition throughout the U.S. economy.

There’s no question that most industries are becoming more concentrated. Big firms account for higher shares of industry revenue and are reaping historically large profits relative ...