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Why I quit journalism to help the FTC break-up Big Tech

#359: Regulators have relied on analysts and academics for years, but now real-world industry experts are being call in - including journalists...

Bonjour from Paris where I’m writing in a street cafe on Rue Rambuteau in the trés chic suburb of Le Marias.

And welcome to new subs over the past few days from Japan’s top business publisher Nikkei, Australia’s leading broadcaster Nine, boutique PR team Broadsheet in San Francisco, the Amazon Alexa team in Seattle, Silicon Canals which covers the start-up and VC beat from its HQ in Amsterdam, Spanish IT consultancy Querry, and many.

It’s great to have you all here. Please invite your network to join us with a subscription.

Today, I report on what Google didn’t say in its last earnings report before break-up, how Big Tech is making you poorer, but first, an extraordinary journey.

For decades regulators have relied on academics and economists to figure out whether big companies are flouting the rules and crushing competition.

This was because antitrust law was viewed as crusty, boring, and dull, and focused on stuff no-one really cared about.

Then Big Tech came along. Suddenly kids were dying, algos were consuming entire industries, thousands were losing their jobs, and democracy itself began to rock.

It gave rise to a new wave of regulators led by Jonathan Kanter at the US Department of Justice and Lina Khan at the Federal Trade Commission.

They pierced the dogma with a radical new idea. Maybe listening to people from inside the industries impacted would be a good idea. Maybe they have something to say, and insights to share?

In today’s podcast, Alan and I meet a journalist who quit her job investigating Big Tech to join the FTC to help break it up.

It was music to my ears. I spent years approaching the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) offering to help.

Every time I was referred to the press office or an online job page. I’m not done though. Hey, ACCC. I’m still here 👋 Call me. 🤙


In less than a month, a judge will reveal how Google will be broken up. It will alter the monetisation, discovery, and distribution of news forever. Are you prepared? Canva, Accenture, IBM, Wizeline and more trust me for advice and speak on global stages. If you want to know how the post-Google landscape will look, shoot me a mail at rickysutton@substack.com

But first, how a reporter from Gizmodo quit to control the tech companies she was reporting on…

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