Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter delivered a keynote address at the Open Markets Institute's event titled “Fixing the Information Crisis Before It's Too Late (for Democracy)” on June 27, 2024. He expressed gratitude to Kai and The Guardian US for organizing the event and emphasized the importance of free information flow in democracy.
Kanter highlighted that freedom of speech is fundamental to democracy, referencing Ben Franklin’s commitment to press liberty. He noted that modern threats to free speech come from private corporations with significant control over information dissemination, a scenario unimaginable during the Founders' era.
"Today we are confronting that challenge," Kanter stated, pointing out that dominant platforms threaten journalism and the exchange of ideas. He stressed that these corporations act as gatekeepers, controlling which voices are heard and what messages are shared.
Kanter discussed three key areas affected by this dynamic: journalism, publishing, and artificial intelligence (AI). In journalism, he cited statistics showing a decline in newspapers due to changes in advertising models driven by digital platforms. "In 2023, an average of 2.5 newspapers closed each week," he said, attributing this trend to powerful platforms acting as intermediaries between newspapers and readers.
He argued for increased competition among digital advertisers to create fairer compensation structures for journalists. "Without sufficient advertising revenue, independent journalism suffers," Kanter remarked.
In publishing, Kanter referenced the Antitrust Division's successful challenge against the merger of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster. He emphasized that consolidation would harm authors by reducing advances and diminishing diversity in viewpoints.
Regarding AI, Kanter warned about its potential to reshape content industries and exacerbate existing issues in journalism. "Generative AI leverages human creations," he noted, expressing concern over dominant companies exploiting monopsony power without just compensation for creators.
Kanter concluded by stressing the need for competition and innovation to protect free expression and democratic values. "Our democratic values depend on our ability to save ideas," he asserted.