Technology
A Wave of Acquisitions May Have Shielded Big Tech from Competition
According to a new study co-authored by Florian Ederer, the fraction of startups that are acquired has skyrocketed, eliminating many potential competitors of big tech firms.

Create Trust Online by Pairing User Control and Data Security
In a new study, Yale SOM’s K. Sudhir and his co-author examine the impact of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). They find that strict privacy rights paired with strong data security mandates create an atmosphere of trust that makes data sharing more beneficial for both firms and their customers.
Study: Improved Video Game Technology Contributed to Decline in Work by Younger Men
Between the 2000s and the 2010s, weekly recreational computer use by men in their 20s rose by 2.7 hours; at the same time, working hours for this group dropped by 1.8 hours. A study co-authored by Yale SOM Dean Kerwin K. Charles concludes that improving technology caused much of the increase in gaming, and nearly half of the decline in working hours for young men.
Is Bitcoin a Bubble?
The price of a single Bitcoin is up more than 700% since the beginning of 2020, defying years of predictions of a crash. We asked Prof. Aleh Tsyvinski, professor of economics at Yale, to shed some light on the continuing phenomenon.
A Peaceful Transfer of Power at Amazon
We asked Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, author of a landmark study of CEO succession, how Amazon will be changed by the departure of its founder.
What Can Smartphone Location Data Tell Us about the Pandemic?
Yale SOM’s Kevin Williams and his co-authors used cellphone location data to create a data set tracking movement during COVID-19, which is publicly available for researchers.
Can We Protect Our Election from the Bots?
More than 50,000 Russia-linked bots were active on Twitter during the 2016 election. Are they back? We talked with Prof. Tauhid Zaman, who has carried out a series of studies identifying bot networks and assessing their impact.
What’s the Danger from TikTok?
In September, under pressure from the Trump administration to sell its U.S. operations, the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok tentatively agreed to partner with Oracle. We asked Prof. Paul Bracken, an expert on strategy and technology, about the security threat from Chinese technology companies and how the conflict might play out.
The Borderlessness of Tech-Driven Media
Dayo Olopade ’15, a lead for film and television partnerships at Google, discusses the global disruption of production, distribution, and consumption of media around the world.
Facebook’s Dominance Is Built on Anti-Competitive Behavior
In a new paper, Yale SOM’s Fiona Scott Morton writes that the company took control of the social media industry by misleading consumers and buying up rivals.
An App as a Lifeline for Immigrant Communities
Laura Arrazola ’19, a graduate of Yale SOM's Master of Advanced Management program, describes her experiences managing a virtual community that helps hard-hit immigrants navigate the pandemic.