This Week in Tech (Audio) TWiT 1048: Tiny Steering Wheel - Unpacking Google's Antitrust Ruling & AI's Impact
19 snips
Sep 8, 2025 
In this engaging discussion, Alex Wilhelm, TechCrunch editor, and Harry McCracken, Fast Company journalist, dissect Google's recent antitrust ruling and its surprisingly lenient consequences. They explore how the tech landscape is shifting due to AI, warning about potential threats to privacy and innovation. The duo also shares intriguing insights about the anticipated iPhone 17 features and engages in light-hearted banter over past Facebook features. Their commentary on the ethical implications of AI in copyright further adds depth to the conversation.
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Antitrust Ruling Softened By AI Context
- Judge Mehta found Google a monopoly but imposed limited remedies influenced by AI's emergence.
- The ruling protects defaults and avoids divestitures while requiring limited data sharing to help rivals.
Timing Undercuts Antitrust Impact
- Antitrust delays let market shifts (like AI) blunt remedies and reduce deterrence.
- Long monopolies still harm markets even if later displaced by innovation.
Data Flywheels Power Search Monopolies
- Search dominance relies on data flywheels bought via exclusivity and defaults.
- Sharing doc IDs and index signals could help rivals bootstrap competitive indexes faster.
