Who Broke the Internet? | E3: In God We Antitrust
May 19, 2025•37 min•Season 5Ep. 3
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Summary
This episode examines how US antitrust laws were weakened by legal scholar Robert Bork's focus on consumer prices, granting digital giants like Amazon decades to dominate markets and exploit businesses. The story follows a small seller's struggle against Amazon's practices and introduces Lina Khan, whose influential paper critiqued this approach. Now chair of the FTC, Khan is actively pursuing lawsuits against Amazon and other Big Tech companies, aiming to restore the original intent of antitrust law to curb corporate power and protect competition.Episode description
American antitrust laws were designed to stop companies from wielding the power of kings. But in the 1970s, a legal scholar named Robert Bork convinced Washington to ignore those laws. Host Cory Doctorow traces how Bork's influence gave digital giants like Amazon a decades-long free pass to dominate markets, crush competitors, exploit their own business clients, and treat users like hostages — and how, after 40 years of inaction, former FTC chair Lina Khan took on the fight to rein in monopoly power.
Guests in this episode include Michael Wiesel, Lina Khan, and Clive Thompson. Archival recordings feature Robert Bork.
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