The pros and cons of breaking up big tech
Have tech companies gotten so big that it's bad for the economy?
Senator Elizabeth Warren says so. She's proposing to break up not one, but several tech giants, including Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google. She says they shouldn't be allowed to both run distributor platforms and compete on them. It's like being an umpire and a team owner at the same time.
Spotify co-founder and CEO Daniel Ek is not calling for a breakup, but he is calling for an overhaul – specifically when it comes to Apple. He's pointing to the same issue Warren is: Apple is charging Spotify to operate on its App Store, but then also competing with Spotify in the same store.
So. Is there a problem here? Should big tech be broken up? If not, should regulators step in to change the rules?
This week Jon Fortt sits down with Wired senior writer Lauren Goode, New York Times tech columnist Kevin Roose and former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, author of new book: "From Gutenberg to Google: The History of Our Future"
Later on the podcast: Dominique Morisseau is a playwright, a MacArthur Genius Grant recipient, and her musical "Ain't Too Proud — The Life and Times of the Temptations" opens on Broadway this Thursday. A unique innovator shares her journey and you don't want to miss it.
Fortt Knox is a weekly podcast from CNBC anchor Jon Fortt. Previous episodes of the program can be found here.