The Monopoly Report

Cobun Zweifel-Keegan joins host Alan Chapell to discuss key themes around U.S. state efforts to enforce on privacy AI and consumer protection. We talk about regulatory tension between the federal and state governments, the key areas of focus at the state level and the impact of state enforcement. We also riff a bit on Alan's recent Substack article comparing Spotify's Panama Playlists with the 1987 events leading up to the Video Privacy Protection Act - https://chapell.substack.com/p/why-congress-will-pass-a-privacy.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alan Chapell is joined by Justin Evan's where they discuss his book: The Little Book of Data. While designed for business teams, the book (and the podcast) also lights a path that can be helpful to the legal and regulatory folks. Our conversation also makes broader points about the creative process and how to stay relevant in your career by remaining curious.  Check out the Little Book of Data at https://www.harpercollinsleadership.com/9781400248353/the-little-book-of-data/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Alan is joined by Shoshana Woodinsky, veteran journalist in the ads space turned tech expert for the Federal Trade Commission. Shoshana offers an unfiltered view of how things sometimes function at the Commission - and shares some insights on how recent FTC policies impact the ads space. Takeaways The U.S. lacks a national privacy law, relying on state laws. The FTC has historically set privacy standards. Lina Khan's leadership marked a shift in consumer protection. The Office of Technology was created to address tech issues. Bureaucracy can slow down regulatory processes significantly. Investigations can sometimes feel like fishing expeditions. The FTC's approach to bias in advertising raises questions. Legal theories in advertising can be complex and vague. Collaboration among commissioners is crucial for effective regulation. Upholding the truth is essential in regulatory work. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Privacy and Regulation 03:08 The Role of the FTC in Privacy Standards 05:43 Lina Khan's Impact on Consumer Protection 08:53 Navigating Between Technology and Economics 11:33 The Challenges of Bureaucracy in Regulation 14:45 Investigating Bias in Advertising 17:30 The Complexity of Legal Theories 20:16 The Nature of FTC Investigations 23:16 The Balance of Ideology in the FTC 26:32 The Future of Privacy Regulation 29:29 Conclusion and Reflections on FTC Dynamics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Alan discusses Contextual Integrity as applied to the ad space with Professor Helen Nissenbaum. They go deep into profiling and the use of PETs. Alan encourages listeners to check out some of Helen's writing at https://nissenbaum.tech.cornell.edu/main_cv.html#pub Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kamyl Bazbaz and Joseph Jerome from DuckDuckGo join Alan to discuss the role of the browser, the intersection between privacy and competition and how DuckDuckGo differentiates itself within the craziness of larger ads space.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ari Paparo and Alan Chapell discuss Ari's new book Yield: How Google Bought, Built, and Bullied its Way to Advertising Dominance. They also talk about the potential impact of the fallout of Google's antitrust trials on the marketplace. And Ari provides some insights as to why it's difficult for privacy and regulatory issues to make their way into the C-suite. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Megan Gray joins host Alan Chapell for a discussion of the various remedies being proposed in the Google Search Antitrust Trial with the DOJ as we head towards Judge Mehta's decision in that case later this summer.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Meta antitrust trial has been undercovered with in the ads space. Host Alan Chapell brings antitrust litigator Brendan Benedict on to get a sense of the core arguments of both the FTC and Meta and make some predictions on how this case will play out.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the FTC Samuel AA Levin joins Alan Chapell to discuss a recent law review article he co-authored, how privacy and consumer protection were undercut during the 1980's, and how the Lina Kahn FTC sought to bring them back. Within the context of the digital ads space, they discussed: DNT, Industry self-regulation, notice and choice and the pro's and con's of a harms based approach.  Check out the Stanford Law Review article Sam co-authored with Lina Kahn and Stephanie T. Nguyen titled: After Notice and Choice: Reinvigorating “Unfairness” to Rein In Data Abuses. The article is available at: https://www.stanfordlawreview.org/print/article/after-notice-and-choice-reinvigorating-unfairness-to-rein-in-data-abuses/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Alan Chapell moderates a debate between Erez Levin (buy-side) and Gareth Glaser (sell-side) on how the ad tech marketplace is shifting while interjecting a few nuggets about the role of privacy and competition as we look towards 2026 and beyond.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices