Is The AT&T-Time Warner Merger A Good Thing?

AT&T is attempting to give itself a monopoly with its takeover of Time Warner, suggests David Dayen of The Nation. An internal memo published by the Justice Department indicated that AT&T is motivated by the fact that its competitors need the content that Time Warner produces. It can now raise costs on competitors and give discounts to people that use its services. The merger is bad for competition, giving AT&T an unfair advantage. It also gives an even smaller group more influence on the country’s news media. America’s anti-trust laws are inadequate and need to be reformed to recognize these and other downsides.