SIMONE DEL ROSARIO: SHE SPARKED A MOVEMENT WHEN HER YALE LAW JOURNAL PAPER BLASTING AMAZON – WENT VIRAL. HER HARDLINE ANTITRUST POSITIONS HAVE MADE HER BIG TECH ENEMY #1. AND NOW – AS CHAIR OF THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION – SHE HAS THE POWER TO BREAK THEM UP. WHICH MAKES LINA KHAN JUST ONE NAME YOU NEED TO KNOW.
EVEN BEFORE HER CONTROVERSIAL APPOINTMENT AT THE RECORD-BREAKING AGE OF 32, KHAN WAS KNOWN AS ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT VOICES CALLING FOR AN END TO BIG TECH SUPREMACY.
LINA KHAN: this is actually also causing economic harm. A lot of the small businesses that are dependent on Amazon are terrified.
SIMONE DEL ROSARIO: HER RISE WAS METEORIC. IN JUST FOUR YEARS KHAN WENT FROM LAW SCHOOL TO COUNSEL TO THE HOUSE JUDICIARY SUBCOMMITTEE INVESTIGATING BIG TECH TO COLUMBIA LAW PROFESSOR TO FTC CHAIR…WHERE HER OPINIONS ON MONOPOLIES AND MERGERS CARRY ENORMOUS WEIGHT.
LINA KHAN: industry consolidation and weakened competition have denied americans the benefits of an open economy with workers farmers small businesses and consumers paying the price.
SIMONE DEL ROSARIO: PROGRESSIVES LOVE HER.
CONGRESSWOMAN PRAMILA JAYAPAL: she has a very strong competence around this topic :14
SIMONE DEL ROSARIO: BUT TECH GIANTS ARE PUSHING BACK…
CNBC ANCHOR: Facebook is seeking the recusal of Lina Khan.
SIMONE DEL ROSARIO: ACCUSING KHAN OF SHOWING BIAS AGAINST BIG TECH LONG BEFORE HER ASCENSION TO THE CHAIR.
FOX BUSINESS ANCHOR: i’m reading between the lines you really want to go after them don’t you?
LINA KHAN: i think there’s good evidence that amazon’s been abusing forms of its conflicts of interest that we should address as a society.
SIMONE DEL ROSARIO: REPUBLICAN SENATOR MIKE LEE SAYS THE FTC UNDER KHAN IS LAUNCHING “A PROGRESSIVE PUTSCH” THAT’LL “BURDEN AMERICAN BUSINESSES.”
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL EDITORIAL BOARD CALLED KHAN “A 32-YEAR-OLD ACADEMIC WHO HAS NO EXPERIENCE RUNNING ANYTHING.”
CRITICISM ASIDE – KHAN’S MORE FOCUSED ON NEW MERGERS IN HER CROSS-HAIRS AND TECH LEADERS ARE GOING OUT OF THEIR WAY TO PLACATE HER.
ACTIVISION CEO BOBBY KOTICK: we’ve now seen more competition than ever before.
SIMONE DEL ROSARIO: BUT IS KHAN BUYING IT? THE FTC RECENTLY ANNOUNCING PLANS TO REWRITE MERGER GUIDELINES TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF THE MODERN ECONOMY. KHAN’S PHILOSOPHY IS A BIG DEPARTURE FROM THE LAST TWO DECADES WHEN BIG TECH GOBBLED UP HUNDREDS OF SMALLER FIRMS BUT HER BOSS IS STANDING BY HER.
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: Capitalism without competition is exploitation.
SIMONE DEL ROSARIO: LINA KHAN HAS THE POWER, THE AGENDA AND THE SUPPORT TO REVISE THE LANDSCAPE OF AMERICAN CAPITALISM, MAKING HER JUST ONE NAME YOU NEED TO KNOW.