Roosevelt Would Not Understand the E.U.'S Antitrust Fine Against Google (2017)

- The article compares the E.U.'s 2017 antitrust fine against Google (€2.4 billion for favoring its own shopping service) to Teddy Roosevelt's trust-busting — but argues they are fundamentally different. - Roosevelt targeted monopolies that *raised prices* for consumers (e.g., Standard Oil). The E.U. targeted Google for behavior that harms competitors but keeps prices low for consumers (Google Shopping is free). - This reveals a central debate in modern antitrust: should the law protect *competitors* from being locked out, even if consumers aren't paying more? The E.U. says yes; the U.S. (in 2017) generally said no, influenced by the "Chicago School" that focuses only on consumer welfare (price and output). - Written in 2017, the piece predates the recent U.S. antitrust wave against Big Tech (FTC suits against Amazon, Meta), so it captures a moment when U.S. and E.U. approaches were especially far apart.