Decoder with Nilay Patel Monopoly isn’t a game (with Lina Khan)
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Jun 12, 2025 
Lina Khan, former FTC Chair, discusses the critical landscape of antitrust in the U.S. with Preet Bharara. They dive into the bipartisan shift toward regulating Big Tech and examine how monopolies, especially those like Amazon and Google, stifle innovation and fair competition. Khan reflects on her time in government, the implications of monopolistic practices, and the enduring necessity of antitrust enforcement in protecting consumer rights. The conversation is a call to action for fair competition and fresh ideas in an ever-consolidating market.
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Bipartisan Skepticism of Monopolies
- Antitrust attracts unusual bipartisan support for its focus on regulating extreme economic power.
- Both progressives and conservatives see monopoly power as a threat to competition and liberty.
Consumer Welfare Limits
- The traditional consumer welfare focus misses structural monopoly power in companies like Amazon.
- Amazon’s low prices mask harmful anti-competitive tactics such as predatory pricing and vertical integration.
Blocking Anti-Competitive Pharma Merger
- The FTC blocked a Sanofi merger with Maize, which offered a superior treatment for a rare disease.
- The merger would have reduced innovation by eliminating competition from a new, better therapy.