Breaking Up Is Hard to Do: The 2021 IDA Debate on Breaking Up Big Tech

July, 2023
IDA document: D-33522
FFRDC: Systems and Analyses Center
Type: Documents
Division: Information Technology and Systems Division
Authors:
Authors
Michelle G. Albert, Claire E. Haas See more authors
Two teams of IDA researchers participated in a debate on breaking up big tech companies like Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google and Microsoft. The teams — one pro-breakup and one anti-breakup — responded to four questions probing the costs and benefits of breaking up these multi-national corporations to national and economic security. This paper captures each team’s arguments and responses to the questions and identifies actions taken after the debate occurred.