GLOBAL TECH GIANTS AND THE NEW FACE OF ANTITRUST: A HUMAN RIGHTS PERSPECTIVE ON MARKET POWER AND DIGITAL INEQUALITY
AUTHOR – RAFEEQUE HUSSAIN AK* & DR. K. JAMEELA**
* RESEARCH SCHOLAR, HINDUSTAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY & SCIENCE (HITS), CHENNAI, TAMIL NADU, INDIA
** ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, SCHOOL OF LAW, HINDUSTAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE, CHENNAI
BEST CITATION – RAFEEQUE HUSSAIN AK & DR. K. JAMEELA, GLOBAL TECH GIANTS AND THE NEW FACE OF ANTITRUST: A HUMAN RIGHTS PERSPECTIVE ON MARKET POWER AND DIGITAL INEQUALITY, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 5 (14) OF 2025, PG. 811-821, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344. DOI – https://doi.org/10.65393/NJJO3845
ABSTRACT
The dominance of global technology corporations—Google, Amazon, Meta, Apple, and Microsoft—has transformed the digital economy, fostering innovation but also consolidating market power in ways that challenge competition law and human rights. This article examines how their control over digital ecosystems, driven by network effects, data accumulation, and platform gatekeeping, perpetuates digital inequality, undermines consumer autonomy, and erodes fundamental rights such as privacy, freedom of expression, and equality. By analyzing antitrust enforcement in the United States, European Union, India, and other jurisdictions, alongside global scholarship, it critiques the limitations of traditional competition law frameworks, which prioritize economic efficiency over social justice. The article proposes a human rights-based antitrust model grounded in accountability, transparency, participation, and redress to address these multifaceted harms. Emphasizing the Global South’s unique challenges, it advocates for global coordination, public alternatives, and civil society empowerment to foster a fair and inclusive digital economy. Through detailed case studies and policy recommendations, this study reimagines antitrust as a tool for digital justice, ensuring technological advancements serve human dignity and democratic values.
Keywords: Antitrust, Big Tech, Competition Law, Digital Markets, Human Rights, Digital Inequality, Privacy, Freedom of Expression, Algorithmic Bias, Platform Accountability, Global South, Digital Rights, Surveillance Capitalism, Consumer Autonomy, Digital Public Infrastructure