Q-3468 (Reprise of GOOG, TWTR, FB antitrust.)
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The legal position of these cats is completely untenable.
They are media companies trying to assert the immunity of common carriers, opening them to endless liability.
Even more serious: Their destruction of competing points of view, especially where those providers are their CUSTOMERS AS WELL AS COMPETITORS—is in DIRECT VIOLATION OF SHERMAN ANTITRUST ACT which prevents this type of interference by an essential supplier of a competitor.
The “Test” is referred to as “Vertical and horizontal”—meaning a “vertical” supplier who is essential, cannot abuse their power against a “horizontal” competitor.
Sorry I can’t state this with more legal precision, but I think that’s the gist of it. This is the type of BAD BEHAVIOR that led to the breakup of Standard Oil and the breakup of the Bell System.
I agree it’s like the bell systems break up
But it also reminds me of the movie studios and how they used to own
all the movie houses too.
These people own the content and the delivery system.