Podcasts for antitrust law fanatics

By Thibault Schrepel

I finally made it! Here is a list of all podcasts (I listen to) that antitrust law fanatics may appreciate. I personally find great inspiration for my research while listening to these podcasts and I thought that, perhaps, some of you would enjoy them as well, whether it is to get new information or bold ideas to change the world.

For each one of them, you will find a brief description, and also, an explanation of why I chose to feature it on this list.
I have also selected one episode each so that you can “see” for yourself. There is no particular order… unless there is a spontaneous one…

What? Why?: Featuring regular cut-through interviews with leading thinkers, movers and shakers, Competition Lore is a podcast series that engages us all in a debate about the transformative potential and risks of digitalised competition. Join Caron Beaton-Wells, Professor in Competition Law at the University of Melbourne, to tackle what it means to participate as a competitor, consumer or citizen in a digital economy and society.

My take: Competition Lore is the world first and best podcast entirely dedicated to competition law. Despite my bias (I was recently invited as a guest), I find Competition Lore to be highly informative and thoughtful. Let me put it this way: if you work in the field of competition/antitrust law, you have no choice but to listen to Competition Lore. Caron connects the academic world with enforcers and (tech) companies as no-one else in the world. The podcast is very well produced and the host is one of the most captivating academics in the field. What else?!

Test episode: “Blockchain as the death of antitrust?” (I mean…): Blockchain technology and smart contracts hold some promise for reinvigorating competition, providing more efficient and secure ways of doing business on the internet, while at the same time lifting the bar in data protection and privacy. But is this new general purpose technology all that it’s made out to be? Will it challenge the power of the major digital platforms? And what are the risks that blockchain itself will become concentrated and fall prey to anti-competitive conduct? In this episode, Dr Thibault Schrepel, Assistant Professor at the Utrecht University School of Law, takes on these challenging questions.

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