DOJ Blocks Bertelsmann Merger with Simon & Schuster in Win for Authors, Readers, Editors, and Publishers

Open Markets celebrates the Department of Justice’s vote to file a civil antitrust lawsuit to block the proposed merger between Penguin Random House, a subsidiary of Bertelsmann, and Simon & Schuster.

Following Release of Stablecoins Report, Open Markets Urges Regulators to Use Existing Tools to Protect Investors and Mitigate Systemic Risks

Addressing threats to fair competition, and investors and consumers should come before facilitating the growth of private money.

Press ReleasesOpen MarketsNovember 1, 20212021, November 2021, Primary Feature

FTC Begins New Era by Restoring Common Sense Rules to Block Bad Deals

26 years later, the FTC reinstates the “Prior Approval Policy” taking back the power to restrict anticompetitive mergers.

Chopra Order on Big Tech Payment Services Marks New Approach to Power, Privacy, and Data

Open Markets applauds the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for ordering Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Square, and PayPal to disclose information about their payment system practices.

Press ReleasesOpen MarketsOctober 21, 20212021, October 2021, Big Tech, Barry Lynn, Primary Feature, Wins

Regulators Should Use Existing Authority to Address Investor Protection and Systemic Risk Issues with Stablecoins

Open Markets urges the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets to ensure any recommendations for stablecoin regulation utilize their existing authorities and address existing investor protection, consumer protection, and systemic risk issues.

Press ReleasesOpen MarketsOctober 19, 20212021, October 2021, Big Tech, Secondary Feature

Sens. Klobuchar and Grassley Lead a Bipartisan Step Forward for Protecting People From Platform Monopolists

Open Markets applauds the introduction of the “The American Innovation and Choice Online Act.”

Press ReleasesOpen MarketsOctober 19, 20212021, Wins, October 2021, Barry Lynn, Politics, Big Tech, Secondary Feature

Large Coalition of Public Interest and Environmental Groups Come Together to Urge Leaders to Address Climate Damages of Crypto

Open Markets sent a letter to congressional leadership signed by 70+ public interest, environmental, and racial justice organizations calling on Congress to take steps to mitigate cryptocurrency’s climate destruction when developing legislative and regulatory action for the industry.

Press ReleasesOpen MarketsOctober 7, 20212021, October 2021, Primary Feature

Chopra’s Confirmation Signals Revitalization of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and a Strong Watchdog for Consumers

Open Markets celebrates the confirmation of Chopra to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Press ReleasesOpen MarketsSeptember 30, 20212021

New Research - Amazon Continues to Radically Expand Worker Surveillance Practices That Predominantly Harm People of Color

New paper reveals major escalations of Amazon’s invasive worker surveillance.

Press ReleasesOpen MarketsSeptember 23, 2021Amazon, Labor, Privacy, September 2021, 2021, Big Tech, Secondary Feature

With Bedoya on Board, the FTC Should Move Swiftly to Stop Monopolistic Power

Open Markets Institute applauds Biden’s plan to nominate Alvaro Bedoya as the third Democratic commissioner of the FTC.

SEC Takes Action to Protect Crypto Investors Affirming Importance of Applying Securities Laws to DeFi

Open Markets asserts that a recent SEC action against the unregistered sale of over $30 million of securities through a DeFi platform clarifies that excluding DeFi from tax reporting is a dangerous idea.

Press ReleasesOpen MarketsAugust 6, 20212021, Law, August 2021, Secondary Feature

Rep. Eshoo Reintroduces Legislation to Ban Microtargeted Political Ads

Open Markets supports Rep. Eshoo’s reintroduction of the “Banning Microtargeted Political Ads Act” because stopping the spread of dis- and misinformation and online propaganda is critical for preserving the integrity of our elections and strengthening American democracy.

Open Markets Applauds Waters and FSC for Moving to Protect U.S. Financial Markets from Secretive Billion Dollar Investment Funds

Open Markets celebrates the Financial Services Committee’s passage of a package of bills aimed at bringing new, much-needed transparency to family offices.

Press ReleasesOpen MarketsJuly 29, 20212021, Wins, June 2021, Secondary Feature

With Kanter, Khan, Wu, and the Rest of Biden’s Trustbusting Team, We’re Looking at a New Era of Democracy for All Americans, From the Bottom Up

The Open Markets Institute applauds the Biden administration’s nomination of Jonathan Kanter to run the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice.

Press ReleasesOpen MarketsJuly 20, 2021Antitrust Law, Big Tech, Technology & Power, Wins, Primary Feature

A Sequel Report: Amazon’s Pervasive Surveillance Extends from Workers to Competitors and Consumers Too

New report enumerates a plethora of predatory, exclusionary, and unfair practices that Amazon implements to surveil its competitors and consumers.

Biden Executive Order Marks Important Win for Movement to Protect Workers, Farming Communities, Exporters, and Our Nation’s Security from Monopoly Power

The Open Markets Institute releases a statement celebrating a White House executive order on competition policy aimed at breaking the power of monopolists and calling for a multitude of actions that Open Markets pioneered over the years.

Open Markets Institute Publishes Report Laying Out How USDA Must Rebuild Food System Resiliency

Open Markets Institute published, “Building Food Systems Resiliency Through Different Business Scales and Forms,” a report, originally submitted in response to a USDA request for comments, discussing how to improve regulation of agriculture markets to ensure fair competition and to counterbalance predatory corporate consolidation.

Press ReleasesOpen MarketsJuly 2, 2021Food & Agriculture, July 2021, 2021, Secondary Feature

New Open Markets Financial Policy Director, Alexis Goldstein, to Testify Tomorrow on Systemic Risks of Cryptocurrency at House Subcommittee Hearing

Alexis Goldstein, Open Markets Institute’s Director of Financial Policy, will testify Wednesday, June 29, at 10:00 a.m. ET at the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing, “America on “FIRE”: Will the Crypto Frenzy Lead to Financial Independence and Early Retirement or Financial Ruin?”

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