Bold Names Biden’s Antitrust Architect on How Big Tech Threatens U.S. Prosperity
10 snips
Nov 21, 2025 
Tim Wu, a legal scholar and key architect of Biden's antitrust policy, dives into the monopolistic tendencies of Big Tech. He argues that platforms like Apple and Amazon are extracting value from users, turning human creativity into a commodity. Wu critiques the historical and current power dynamics at play, emphasizing the need for regulation to restore competition. He also sees AI as a crucial battleground for innovation, advocating for policies that foster challengers to prevent stagnation and encourage a thriving tech economy.
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Apple Ad As Extraction Metaphor
- Tim Wu opens with an Apple ad that crushed symbols of human creativity into a tiny product as a metaphor for extraction.
- He argues the ad reveals a cultural truth: humanity itself is being treated as a resource to be mined.
Private Platforms Replaced Public Agoras
- Essential public spaces now exist as privately owned tech platforms that mediate commerce, culture, and civic life.
- Ownership and business models shifted benefits from the public to a few private beneficiaries, changing who captures value.
Convenience Masks Systemic Extraction
- Tech platforms combine extreme convenience with an extractive business model that always ensures the platform wins.
- They extract fees, attention, and data while users and dependent businesses shoulder the costs.
