FAIR PLAY: Apple’s Shazam Deal Shows EU Eyeing, Not Halting, Big Data

Big data is a conundrum for the antitrust world. The information that tech companies collect on users is clearly of value, but just how much it’s worth is still a subject of debate among economists. That makes it difficult for competition enforcers to value tech companies’ data troves when analyzing proposed mergers.

European Union Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager thinks big data should be incorporated into antitrust analysis. “Data is an asset,” she said in a 2016 speech. “If just a few companies control the data you need to satisfy customers and cut costs, that could give them the power to ...