Honors College Theses
Publication Date
11-15-2022
Major
Political Science (B.A.)
Document Type and Release Option
Thesis (restricted to Georgia Southern)
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Maureen Stobb
Abstract
From sending emails, to online ordering, or simply watching Netflix at home, Big Tech has invaded almost every aspect of our modern twenty-first century lives. As technology brought innovation and convenience, it also brought upon a legal regulatory challenge for federal systems, such as the United States (US) and the European Union (EU). In this thesis, I will use comparative analysis in the cases of antitrust law in the United States and European Union competition law. Then, I investigate if regulation actually accomplishes its mission – protecting consumer welfare. The consumer welfare standard has been used in both the US and the EU since 1970’s. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence to show how lower or higher regulation affects consumer welfare and how consumers feel about their own welfare. In this thesis, I want to fill the gap in empirical evidence by looking at ways to calculate consumer welfare by listening to the personal experiences of the American public. I argue that increased regulation of Big Tech will bring an increase in consumer welfare.
Thesis Summary
This thesis investigates the current state of Big Tech regulation in the United States and the European Union.
Recommended Citation
Williams, Emma K., "Big Tech: Antitrust Paradox or Solvable?" (2022). Honors College Theses. 803.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/honors-theses/803
