Brazil isn't waiting for the courts. Their administrative approach to antitrust is providing a real-time test for interoperability remedies that the rest of the world is watching.

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Today on EconWorks, we conclude our deep dive into the FAANG antitrust landscape by looking at the “invisible hands” of platform operators.

Key Topics Discussed:

* The Shift in Enforcement: Why U.S. antitrust complaints are focusing on user choice architecture and market access rather than just price.

* The Five Pillars of Conduct: Default placement (Google), App Store rules (Apple), Marketplace ranking (Amazon), Feed curation (Meta), and OS integration (Microsoft).

* Feedback Loop Dynamics: How data accumulation creates self-reinforcing cycles of usage and performance.

* The Future of Policy: Assessing innovation, access, and interoperability in platform-mediated markets.

Technical Deep Dive: For our paid subscribers, we have released a technical appendix featuring a simplified economic model that assesses how these governance choices affect new business entry and innovation incentives. To access the full report, visit

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Brazil has officially forced open the iOS ecosystem—but the battle is far from over. Following a landmark antitrust settlement, a massive legal and economic standoff is brewing over the iPhone’s NFC chip and Brazil’s instant payment system, Pix.

In this video, we break down the core arguments: Is Apple protecting billions in proprietary hardware R&D, or is it acting as an illegal gatekeeper by taxing a public utility? We explore the new tiered commission structure, the “free rider” economic defense, and why Brazil’s administrative laws are moving much faster than U.S. judicial courts.

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In this episode, we move beyond traditional price-based analysis to explore how dominant digital platforms—Google, Apple, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft—shape competition through ecosystem governance.

We break down the key mechanisms of platform power:

* Default Placement & Behavior: How search and browser defaults steer user usage.

* App Store & OS Governance: The impact of rules on developer entry and pricing.

* Ranking & Feeds: How marketplace algorithms and feed curation allocate demand and attention.

* Integration & Data: The feedback loops where usage generates data, improving performance and reinforcing dominance.

Does platform conduct limit innovation and choice, or does it enhance security and product quality? We examine the competing claims and the evolving framework for digital competition policy.

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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) successfully challenged the merger between Ottobock and Freedom Innovations, two leading prosthetic manufacturers, in an uncommon antitrust lawsuit. The FTC asserted that the merger would impede market competition and technological progress in the high-end prosthetic knee sector, despite the 2017 acquisition being small enough to evade initial regulatory examination. The primary legal contention revolved around whether the companies were direct competitors within a specific industry or part of a broader, more diverse market. Ultimately, the court mandated a complete divestiture of assets to a third party, rejecting attempts to invoke a “failing firm” rationale. This case serves as an important reminder that government oversight and potential enforced dissolution may arise years after private, undisclosed transactions finalize.

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Competition in software markets may depend not only on product quality but also on how operating systems shape the accessibility and adoption of complementary applications. Join us as we examine how widely adopted applications receive more updates, greater developer attention, and broader ecosystem compatibility. We dive into why the future of competitive software markets matters.

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Most mergers, once closed, are done deals. But this one wasn't. In 2017, Ottobock acquired rival Freedom Innovations in a deal that did not trigger pre-merger notification. Within months, the Federal Trade Commission stepped in. This video explores how the FTC successfully unwound the merger, ordering a divestiture three years later. We break down the timeline, from the quiet acquisition to the eventual sale of assets to Proteor in 2020

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In this episode, we examine Microsoft and how operating system integration impacts competition in complementary software markets. We discuss how developing and preinstalling complementary products—like web browsers and productivity suites—within the OS environment affects user adoption. Discover how this early accessibility creates a feedback loop that influences compatibility investments and ecosystem support, potentially creating challenges for independent software developers.

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Is the government really looking out for consumers by stopping monopolies, or is it just looking out for corporate profits?In this episode, we talk about the high-stakes antitrust fight over one of the biggest media mergers in U.S. history. There is a very intriguing microeconomic chess game going on behind the scenes of the court case. It involves supply-chain leverage, two-sided markets, and the cord-cutting threshold, which is the highest price that consumers will pay.We look at why federal and state regulators don't agree on the threat at all, how higher wholesale prices are passed on to retail customers, and why big telecom companies are scared of a smaller profit pie.

Topics Covered:

* The Pass-Through Rate: How a broadcaster's increase in wholesale prices mathematically makes a cable company raise your monthly bill.

* The Margin Squeeze: What happens when retail prices reach the "cord-cutting threshold" and distributors have to pay for the costs of their suppliers?

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In this installment, we turn our attention to Meta and how platforms connect users with content generated by influencers, media organizations, and competing platforms. We break down how prominent placement within curated feeds may influence user engagement, leading to more views, likes, and shares. We also examine the competitive outcomes for new entrants, exploring how limited initial visibility may make it difficult to generate the engagement needed for algorithmic promotion.

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