Lina Khan on Technology

Lina Khan maintains that dominant technology platforms pose significant threats to competition, innovation, and American economic health by leveraging their market power across various sectors. Her core position, informed by her academic work on platform power, is that traditional antitrust frameworks are inadequate for addressing the unique dynamics of digital monopolies that control essential online infrastructure. She frequently articulates concerns that these firms use tactics like self-preferencing, predatory pricing, and the control of vital data streams to disadvantage rivals and exclude new entrants, thereby undermining the competitive process that benefits consumers and innovators alike.

This perspective translates into an active regulatory posture at the Federal Trade Commission, focusing on investigating and challenging technology mergers and scrutinizing the internal conduct of large tech entities. The implications of her stance are a departure from prior enforcement philosophies, signaling a commitment to scrutinizing the structure and conduct of the largest technology firms more rigorously than in recent decades. Khan has specifically warned about the competitive risks associated with the rapid development and deployment of artificial intelligence by incumbent players controlling foundational models and infrastructure.