Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Has Big Tech become too powerful? From social media platforms and e-commerce giants to cloud computing and AI, tech companies like Amazon, Apple, Alphabet, Meta, and Microsoft wield unprecedented influence over our economy, democracy, and daily lives. The government is taking notice, with the Department of Justice and FTC pursuing landmark antitrust actions and bipartisan support building for breaking up tech giants. Advocates argue these firms are monopolies that stifle competition and innovation, harm consumers through data exploitation, abuse their market dominance, and wield outsized influence over public discourse. Structural separation, such as forcing Google to divest YouTube or Amazon to spin off AWS, would restore fairness. Others argue that breaking them up would undermine innovation and downgrade the user experience, which benefits from integrated ecosystems. It would serve as a blunt instrument when smarter regulation or self-governance could suffice. These measures could lead to unintended consequences for national security, critical infrastructure, and the broader economy.
As these tech companies grow their influence while under public scrutiny, we debate the question: Should the U.S. Government Break Up Big Tech?
This debate was produced in partnership with the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University, as part of The Hopkins Forum series. It was recorded in front of a live audience on Thursday, December 4, 2025, at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center.
Arguing Yes:
Bharat Ramamurti, Founder of The Bully Pulpit; Former Deputy Director of the National Economic Council
Matt Stoller, Director of Research at the American Economic Liberties Project
Arguing No:
Geoffrey A. Manne, President and Founder of the International Center for Law & Economics
Jennifer Huddleston, Senior Fellow in Technology Policy at the Cato Institute
Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates
Visit our Substack to watch more insightful debates and subscribe to our newsletter.
#bigtech #government #ai
===================================
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00:00:00 — Introduction: Should the U.S. Government Break Up Big Tech?
00:01:41 — Foreword with Eugene Scott of the SNF Agora Institute
00:04:38 — Introduction of Debaters
00:08:43 — Opening Statement: Bharat Ramamurti (Yes, Break Up Big Tech)
00:13:15 — Opening Statement: Jennifer Huddleston (No, Don’t Break Up Big Tech)
00:17:35 — Opening Statement: Matt Stoller (Yes, Break Up Big Tech)
00:22:01 — Opening Statement: Geoffrey Manne (No, Don’t Break Up Big Tech)
00:26:41 — Moderator Summary
00:27:57 — Is The Argument Against Big Tech A Moral Crusade?
00:28:42 — Does Big Tech Reduce Consumer Choice?
00:35:02 — Does Big Tech Shift Power From Markets to Politics?
00:38:55 — Does Breaking Up Big Tech Hurt or Help Innovation?
00:44:05 — What Can We Learn From Past Antitrust Breakups?
00:47:24 — Can Regulation Work Without Breaking Up Big Tech?
00:51:05 — Where Is The Boundary Between Corporate Civic Engagement and Political Power?
00:53:40 — Why Should We Not Break Up Big Tech Like We Did With DuPont?
00:55:24 — Does AI Complicate the Big Tech Debate?
00:57:22 — Are There Examples Where Breaking Up A Company Was Detrimental To The Consumer?
00:58:23 — Would Breaking Up Big Tech Reduce or Increase Political Power?
01:00:07 — How Would Breaking Up Big Tech Affect Biotech and R&D?
01:03:42 — Closing Statement: Matt Stoller
01:05:33 — Closing Statement: Jennifer Huddleston
01:07:18 — Closing Statement: Bharat Ramamurti
01:09:02 — Closing Statement: Geoffrey Manne
01:10:56 — Voting and Final Thoughts
01:14:35 — Voting Results
Has Big Tech become too powerful? From social media platforms and e-commerce giants to cloud computing and AI, tech companies like Amazon, Apple, Alphabet, Meta, and Microsoft wield unprecedented influence over our economy, democracy, and daily lives. The government is taking notice, with the Department of Justice and FTC pursuing landmark antitrust actions and bipartisan support building for breaking up tech giants. Advocates argue these firms are monopolies that stifle competition and innovation, harm consumers through data exploitation, abuse their market dominance, and wield outsized influence over public discourse. Structural separation, such as forcing Google to divest YouTube or Amazon to spin off AWS, would restore fairness. Others argue that breaking them up would undermine innovation and downgrade the user experience, which benefits from integrated ecosystems. It would serve as a blunt instrument when smarter regulation or self-governance could suffice. These measures could lead to unintended consequences for national security, critical infrastructure, and the broader economy.
As these tech companies grow their influence while under public scrutiny, we debate the question: Should the U.S. Government Break Up Big Tech?
This debate was produced in partnership with the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University, as part of The Hopkins Forum series. It was recorded in front of a live audience on Thursday, December 4, 2025, at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center.
Arguing Yes:
Bharat Ramamurti, Founder of The Bully Pulpit; Former Deputy Director of the National Economic Council
Matt Stoller, Director of Research at the American Economic Liberties Project
Arguing No:
Geoffrey A. Manne, President and Founder of the International Center for Law & Economics
Jennifer Huddleston, Senior Fellow in Technology Policy at the Cato Institute
Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates
Visit our Substack to watch more insightful debates and subscribe to our newsletter.
#bigtech #government #ai
===================================
Subscribe on Substack: opentodebate.substack.com
Official site: opentodebate.org
X: twitter.com/OpentoDebateOrg
Facebook: facebook.com/BeOpentoDebate
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/opentodebate
Instagram: instagram.com/opentodebateorg
TikTok: tiktok.com/@opentodebateorg
Open to Debate Apple Podcasts: tinyurl.com/bdzmz5xt
Open to Debate Spotify Podcasts: tinyurl.com/22tuxu7h
===================================
00:00:00 — Introduction: Should the U.S. Government Break Up Big Tech?
00:01:41 — Foreword with Eugene Scott of the SNF Agora Institute
00:04:38 — Introduction of Debaters
00:08:43 — Opening Statement: Bharat Ramamurti (Yes, Break Up Big Tech)
00:13:15 — Opening Statement: Jennifer Huddleston (No, Don’t Break Up Big Tech)
00:17:35 — Opening Statement: Matt Stoller (Yes, Break Up Big Tech)
00:22:01 — Opening Statement: Geoffrey Manne (No, Don’t Break Up Big Tech)
00:26:41 — Moderator Summary
00:27:57 — Is The Argument Against Big Tech A Moral Crusade?
00:28:42 — Does Big Tech Reduce Consumer Choice?
00:35:02 — Does Big Tech Shift Power From Markets to Politics?
00:38:55 — Does Breaking Up Big Tech Hurt or Help Innovation?
00:44:05 — What Can We Learn From Past Antitrust Breakups?
00:47:24 — Can Regulation Work Without Breaking Up Big Tech?
00:51:05 — Where Is The Boundary Between Corporate Civic Engagement and Political Power?
00:53:40 — Why Should We Not Break Up Big Tech Like We Did With DuPont?
00:55:24 — Does AI Complicate the Big Tech Debate?
00:57:22 — Are There Examples Where Breaking Up A Company Was Detrimental To The Consumer?
00:58:23 — Would Breaking Up Big Tech Reduce or Increase Political Power?
01:00:07 — How Would Breaking Up Big Tech Affect Biotech and R&D?
01:03:42 — Closing Statement: Matt Stoller
01:05:33 — Closing Statement: Jennifer Huddleston
01:07:18 — Closing Statement: Bharat Ramamurti
01:09:02 — Closing Statement: Geoffrey Manne
01:10:56 — Voting and Final Thoughts
01:14:35 — Voting Results
