NextGen Competition

NextGen Competition

@nextgencompetition.bsky.social

Working to create a fair and competitive technology ecosystem that empowers consumers, workers, and small businesses. https://nextgencomp.tech/

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NextGen Competition
@nextgencompetition.bsky.social

ICYMI: Microsoft got its Activision merger. Workers got layoffs, studios got shuttered, and gamers got broken promises. The FTC warned about the risks. Microsoft got its way anyway. 🙄 Our latest on why Big Tech’s merger promises deserve more scrutiny: nextgencomp.tech/blog/microso...

nextgencomp.techMicrosoft’s Gaming Industry Reset That Regulators Saw ComingNearly three years after Microsoft’s Activision acquisition, mass layoffs, studio closures, and shifting consumer promises raise questions about whether the FTC’s warnings were right all along.
NextGen Competition
@nextgencompetition.bsky.social

One of the strongest defenses communities have against Big Tech’s data center boom? The legal system. ⚖️ In @thenation.com’s latest podcast, Martha Dark discusses how communities can use the courts to push back against the data center deluge. Listen here: www.thenation.com/podcast/poli...

thenation.comTaking Data Centers to Court—With Martha DarkParis Marx is joined by Martha Dark to discuss how legal challenges are holding data centers accountable, strengthening oversight, and challenging Big Tech’s narratives.
NextGen Competition
@nextgencompetition.bsky.social

Microsoft got its Activision merger, while workers got layoffs, studios got shuttered, and gamers got shifting promises. Who could have seen this coming? The FTC for starters, and us of course. 😉 Our latest on why Big Tech’s merger promises deserve more scrutiny: nextgencomp.tech/blog/microso...

nextgencomp.techMicrosoft’s Gaming Industry Reset That Regulators Saw ComingNearly three years after Microsoft’s Activision acquisition, mass layoffs, studio closures, and shifting consumer promises raise questions about whether the FTC’s warnings were right all along.
NextGen Competition
@nextgencompetition.bsky.social

The latest edition of Top Hat & Thimble is out now! 🚨 This month: why AI self-regulation is a fantasy, how Big Tech is shaping campaign season, and our inaugural list of State AI Accountability & Competition Champions. Read it here: newsletter.nextgencomp.tech/p/top-hat-an...

newsletter.nextgencomp.techTop Hat & Thimble - September 2026Welcome to NextGen Competition’s monthly recap, delivering insider insights on antitrust battles, industry shakeups, AI trends, and more.
NextGen Competition
@nextgencompetition.bsky.social

“People don’t breathe one permit at a time.” 💯 As data centers cluster across the country, communities deserve to know the full impact on their air, water, health, and utility bills before Big Tech gets the green light. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/01/c...

nytimes.comWhen Data Centers Cluster Together, How Dirty Are They? One County Wants Answers.An unusual study aims to estimate the pollution and health costs from a cluster of proposed data centers, instead of considering each one separately.
NextGen Competition
@nextgencompetition.bsky.social

The FTC and DOJ can argue over who’s better all they want. When it comes to Big Tech, the public is still waiting for either one to deliver remedies that actually rein in these monopolists. 🤷🏻‍♂️ www.mlex.com/mlex/antitru...

mlex.comUS FTC is better agency than DOJ's Antitrust Division, Ferguson says | MLex | Specialist news and analysis on legal risk and regulationUS Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson has pushed back against the notion that a consensus-driven model of decision-making produces better outcomes and said that the FTC is a better agen...
NextGen Competition
@nextgencompetition.bsky.social

Meta’s teen safety settlement may be great PR for Mark Zuckerberg. But is it real accountability? 🤔 @sumitecon.bsky.social argues the deal leaves major loopholes, weak safeguards, and little public transparency. Read his @techpolicypress.bsky.social latest: www.techpolicy.press/two-reasons-...

techpolicy.pressTwo Reasons Meta’s Settlement with State Attorneys General is a Win for Mark ZuckerbergThe Meta settlement is self-serving and unlikely to meet the objective of protecting teens from social media harms, writes Sumit Sharma.
NextGen Competition
@nextgencompetition.bsky.social

ICYMI: Last week, we dropped the latest Top Hat & Thimble, where we covered everything from Amazon’s monopoly power, to the FTC’s latest investigation, to midterms, data centers, and Big Tech accountability. 📋 Read it here: newsletter.nextgencomp.tech/p/top-hat-an...

newsletter.nextgencomp.techTop Hat & Thimble - August 2026Welcome to NextGen Competition’s monthly recap, delivering insider insights on antitrust battles, industry shakeups, AI trends, and more.
NextGen Competition
@nextgencompetition.bsky.social

Oh, we do have an FTC Chair! 🤯 Haven’t heard from him in a while, but better late than never on Amazon. Now let’s see that same energy for Microsoft, Google, Apple, and Meta. 👀 www.cnbc.com/video/2026/0...

cnbc.comFTC's Andrew Ferguson on Amazon lawsuit: Received billions in additional profit from advertisersAndrew Ferguson, FTC chairman, joins 'The Exchange' to discuss the government body's recent lawsuit against Amazon, the harm to consumers and much more.
NextGen Competition
@nextgencompetition.bsky.social

Meta’s teen safety settlement is being sold as accountability. 🤨 @sumitecon.bsky.social argues it may be a win for Mark Zuckerberg instead: weak limits, AI loopholes, little public reporting, and a payout Meta can absorb. Read in @techpolicypress.bsky.social ⤵️ www.techpolicy.press/two-reasons-...

techpolicy.pressTwo Reasons Meta’s Settlement with State Attorneys General is a Win for Mark ZuckerbergThe Meta settlement is self-serving and unlikely to meet the objective of protecting teens from social media harms, writes Sumit Sharma.
NextGen Competition
@nextgencompetition.bsky.social

The rise in Big Tech surveillance should alarm all of us. 🚨 Facial recognition and AI-powered surveillance tools are no longer hypothetical. They're already making their way into police departments and immigration agencies.

Common Dreams@commondreams.org

Whether you’re driving to the grocery store for a quart of milk or attending a local No Kings protest, odds are that law enforcement has recorded, processed, and archived your activities for future reference, writes @timkarr.bsky.social.

commondreams.orgWhat the Flock? Exposing Big Tech’s Surveillance State​As spying becomes big business, more people are mobilizing to resist mass surveillance.
NextGen Competition
@nextgencompetition.bsky.social

So Americans are “backwards and poor” for wanting to prioritize clean water, lower electricity bills, and strong property values? 🤯

Mashable@mashable.com

When it comes to the controversial AI infrastructure, the president is at odds with a majority of his constituents.

bit.lyTrump blasts data center critics: 'Backwards and poor'When it comes to the controversial AI infrastructure, the president is at odds with a majority of his constituents.
NextGen Competition
@nextgencompetition.bsky.social

Google’s ad tech dominance needed structural relief. Instead, the court chose behavioral remedies that may leave Google’s conflicts intact. @sumitecon.bsky.social: publishers, advertisers, competitors, and consumers need real competition. Read his full statement: nextgencomp.tech/statements/n...

nextgencomp.techNextGen Competition Disappointed by Court’s Decision Rejecting Structural Remedies in Google Ad Tech CaseOn Wednesday, September 2, 2026, U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema of the Eastern District of Virginia rejected a breakup of Google’s ad tech business and instead approved a series of behavioral ...
NextGen Competition
@nextgencompetition.bsky.social

Big Tech sold schools a future of better learning through more technology. Instead, what taxpayers got was dependence on a handful of giant platforms, massive public spending, and deteriorating outcomes. Classic Big Tech. 🤦🏻‍♂️ www.nytimes.com/2026/08/23/b...

nytimes.comHow Big Tech Captured American SchoolsCompanies like Google and Microsoft have used their money, their might and their massive reach to influence nearly every step of the education supply chain.
NextGen Competition
@nextgencompetition.bsky.social

Microsoft loves to cast itself as the responsible Big Tech company. But its AI data center buildout is telling a very different story: soaring energy use, rising emissions, and sustainability rhetoric that looks thinner by the day. 🤦🏻‍♂️

Common Dreams@commondreams.org

Our communities, waterways, parks, and kids’ futures are not for sale, writes @toddpaglia.bsky.social of @stand.earth.

commondreams.orgBig Tech’s Masterclass on Manufacturing Dissent​Big Tech has done the impossible—they’ve united people from across the political spectrum around a singular issue: against data centers and AI.
NextGen Competition
@nextgencompetition.bsky.social

Top talent leaving, internal tensions over military use, pressure to ship faster, ethical red lines getting blurrier… 😵‍💫 Turns out the AI race is even messy inside Google, the monopolist who wants everyone to think it has things under control.

The Verge@theverge.com

Google and its leaders presented a unified front on Wednesday, keeping their messaging focused on how the company's AI changes tee up future success. But the reality is that the laundry list of executive changes likely signal deeper issues within Google’s AI organization.

theverge.comThe messy politics behind Google’s big AI shakeupGoogle’s AI leadership changes may have come down to pressure to speed up products — and internal ethical conflicts.
NextGen Competition
@nextgencompetition.bsky.social

Love to see @openmarkets.bsky.social holding Google’s feet to the fire. 🔥

Open Markets Institute@openmarkets.bsky.social

Our latest amicus brief argues that #Google's exclusive dealing arrangements deny rivals meaningful access to users. Appropriate remedies in U.S. v Google would force Google to eliminate these deals. www.openmarketsinstitute.org/publications...

openmarketsinstitute.orgOpen Markets Urges Appeals Court to Restore Competition in Search as Google Extends Its Gatekeeper Power into AI — Open Markets InstituteOpen Markets filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to prohibit Google from continuing to pay billions of dollars each year to preserve its monopoly over internet...
NextGen Competition
@nextgencompetition.bsky.social

ICYMI: Last week, we dropped the latest edition of Top Hat & Thimble, featuring our takes on app store distribution monopolies, Adam Candeub’s nomination, the launch of Little Tech, and more. 🧑‍💻 Read it here: newsletter.nextgencomp.tech/p/top-hat-an...

newsletter.nextgencomp.techTop Hat & Thimble - July 2026Welcome to NextGen Competition’s monthly recap, delivering insider insights on antitrust battles, industry shakeups, AI trends, and more.
NextGen Competition
@nextgencompetition.bsky.social

This right here is exactly why data centers are causing upheaval on both sides of the aisle: Deals behind closed doors. Zero transparency. Communities left in the dark about how these projects will affect their utility bills, water, land, and local control. 🤦🏻‍♂️

The New York Times@nytimes.com

Meta wanted a rebate to build its A.I. data center in Richland Parish, an impoverished farming community in Louisiana’s northeast corner. The company worked with state officials on the $50 billion project with no opposition — in part because locals didn’t know about the deal until it was done.

nyti.msHow Meta Got Everything It Wanted in a Secret Louisiana Data Center DealA Times examination details how the Silicon Valley giant used private talks with local officials to start a project big enough to cover nearly six square miles.
NextGen Competition
@nextgencompetition.bsky.social

Big Tech unleashed the AI boom first and started hiring economists to explain the fallout later. No number of economists can turn “move fast and break the labor market” into a real accountability plan. 😳 www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...

washingtonpost.comWhy tech companies are poaching top economistsGoogle and others say their economic research sheds light on crucial questions, but critics argue corporate research doesn't serve the public interest.
NextGen Competition
@nextgencompetition.bsky.social

Call them out, @publiccitizen.bsky.social. 💯 Big Tech keeps telling us to trust them on AI while making it painfully clear they don’t know how to control what they’ve built.

Public Citizen@publiccitizen.bsky.social

Big Tech spent years predicting AI would transform the world. That it would replace jobs. Outperform artists. Pose risks to the public. Now, they’re running massive PR campaigns to convince everyone it’s good. The public isn’t buying it.

NextGen Competition
@nextgencompetition.bsky.social

Some OpenAI employees are reportedly backing a Super PAC to push for stronger AI guardrails and take on OpenAI President Greg Brockman. When the people inside the company start organizing for accountability, maybe everyone else should pay attention. 😵‍💫

WIRED@wired.com

OpenAI employees have donated more than $215,000 to a political effort opposing Leading the Future, a group backed by the company’s president, Greg Brockman.

wrd.cmOpenAI Staffers Are Funding a Rival Super PAC to Take on Their BossOpenAI employees have donated more than $215,000 to a political effort opposing Leading the Future, a group backed by the company’s president, Greg Brockman.
NextGen Competition
@nextgencompetition.bsky.social

Americans’ confidence in Big Tech has hit a record low in Gallup’s tracking. 📉 Only 20% say they have a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in tech giants. Maybe years of monopoly power, privacy abuses, AI chaos, and political coziness are catching up. 🤷‍♂️

The Washington Times@washtimes.bsky.social

Americans' trust in large technology companies has sunk to its lowest level since Gallup began tracking the measure, according to a... trib.al/1cAFVMG

trib.alAmericans’ confidence in Big Tech falls to lowest point on recordPOLL: Americans’ trust in Big Tech has sunk to its lowest level since Gallup began tracking the measure.
NextGen Competition
@nextgencompetition.bsky.social

🤨👎

Bloomberg News@bloomberg.com

President Trump nominated Adam Candeub, the general counsel at the FCC, as an assistant attorney general at the DOJ, according to an announcement from the White House

bloom.bgTrump Nominates Telecom Lawyer to Lead DOJ’s Antitrust UnitPresident Donald Trump nominated Adam Candeub, the general counsel at the Federal Communications Commission, as an assistant attorney general at the US Justice Department, according to an announcement from the White House.
NextGen Competition
@nextgencompetition.bsky.social

The latest Top Hat & Thimble is here. 📰 This month: @sumitecon.bsky.social on Big Tech and AI, Alex Bores’ anti-Big Tech run in New York, the Supreme Court’s blow to independent agencies, and more. Read it here: newsletter.nextgencomp.tech/p/top-hat-an...

newsletter.nextgencomp.techTop Hat & Thimble - June 2026Welcome to NextGen Competition’s monthly recap, delivering insider insights on antitrust battles, industry shakeups, AI trends, and more.