At Public Knowledge, we have written and presented numerous articles on the particularly perilous market dynamics of digital platform markets. Economic terms such as “steep barriers to entry”, “network effects” and “economies of scope and scale” do not fully convey how these economic problems harm real people every day. That’s why we’re launching this blog post series “Movin’ On Up A Little Higher” whose title was inspired by the Civil Rights Movement singer mahalia jacksonis moving ballad.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be posting this series of blogs highlighting some real-world scenarios based on news reports, the House judicial inquiry, and research that informs our policy work. The purpose of this series is to show how the biggest tech companies can exploit the inherent market dynamics of digital platforms to the detriment of small businesses and Black-owned, Black-serving consumers. Each blog ends by explaining how key provisions of the U.S. Online Choice and Innovation Act (S.2992 / HR3816) and the Open Application Markets Act (S.2710 / HR5017) could address the exploitative harms suffered by African-American communities, by other diverse communities, and by the American public as a whole.
Download the detailed tables of the two legislative proposals below to follow. The first scenario is coming soon!