Taking On Big Tech with Lina Khan & Jack Cocchiarella - More Perfect University - More Perfect Union [View all]

Who’s afraid of Lina Khan? Big Tech and corporate execs across the country. Join former FTC Chair Lina Khan and ‪@JackCocchiarellaShow‬ to talk about how we can break up corporate monopolies and unrig our broken economy.

The following summary is AI-generated.

Here are the most important points from the transcript:

* Launch of More Perfect University: Former FTC Chair Lina Khan praises the new student initiative by More Perfect Union, which aims to train students to report on economic injustice, host campus events, and build a national digital community to counter corporate power.

* Roots of Antitrust Advocacy: Khan explains her career shift from journalism to antitrust law was driven by witnessing how concentrated corporate power, such as in poultry farming, allows a few companies to abuse farmers and consumers with no competition.

* Strategy Against Corporate Power: Khan details her approach at the FTC, which involved prioritizing fights based on direct stories from working people (like high healthcare costs and non-compete clauses), building legally airtight cases, and mobilizing public support to counter corporate lobbying.

* Local Governance as a Model: The conversation highlights New York Mayor Mamdani engagement strategies, such as rental rip-off hearings and banning subscription traps, as proof that local government can effectively improve material conditions for residents.

* The "Inshitification" of Daily Life: Khan describes how monopoly power leads to a degradation of quality in everyday products and services, using examples like Ticketmaster's hidden fees, the consolidation of grocery brands, and the lack of privacy on WhatsApp after its acquisition by Facebook.

* Call to Action for Youth: Emphasizing that current economic struggles are the result of specific policy choices, Khan urges young people to engage in local civic processes, research existing laws to find neglected enforcement tools, and organize to reverse the trend of extreme wealth concentration.