Recent legal setbacks for Zillow and a massive transatlantic AI merger highlight the growing tension between platform gatekeepers and market competition in the digital age.
The landscape of American market competition faced two significant tests this week as federal courts and international tech giants grappled with the power of data control. In Chicago, the limits of antitrust litigation were laid bare when Zillow Group Inc. lost a critical bid to compel Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) to provide its comprehensive listings feed. Judge John Tharp denied Zillow’s motion, pushing the dispute over access to Illinois’ largest Multiple Listing Service (MLS) into private arbitration. This ruling is viewed locally as a win for MRED, affirming its role as a referee between brokerages, but it leaves the broader market in a state of uncertainty.
While Zillow’s broader Sherman Act claims regarding a suspected group boycott and MLS monopoly remain active, the ruling is a blow to the platform’s effort to use antitrust law as a crowbar for data access. Zillow has argued that the cutoff of its data feed is anticompetitive. While prior court orders temporarily restored some 40,000 listings, the shift toward arbitration suggests courts are increasingly skeptical of forced data sharing. For local brokerages, the decision reinforces the role of the MLS, yet it simultaneously raises concerns about the expansion of private listing networks (PLNs). When data is siloed behind private walls, the transparency required for a healthy housing market begins to erode, often at the expense of individual homebuyers and smaller independent agents who rely on public visibility to compete with larger firms.
Simultaneously, the frontier of artificial intelligence is seeing its own wave of consolidation. Cohere and Aleph Alpha signed a definitive merger agreement on September 16, 2026, aiming to create a $20 billion transatlantic powerhouse. The deal, anchored by a €500 million investment from the Schwarz Group, will see the two companies combine under the Cohere brand with dual headquarters in Toronto and Berlin. While Aleph Alpha shareholders will hold roughly 10% of the new entity, the merger is being framed by Canadian and German officials as a “sovereign alternative” to the dominance of U.S. giants like OpenAI and Anthropic. The political narrative suggests this deal is a necessary counter-balance to the centralization of AI power in Silicon Valley.
However, the rhetoric of sovereignty often masks the reality of market concentration. Recent findings from France’s Autorité de la concurrence indicate that just three firms—OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic—control 84% of the AI agent market. The French regulator has explicitly urged closer monitoring of AI infrastructure partnerships and “gatekeeper” behavior. As the Cohere-Aleph Alpha deal heads toward review by the Canadian Competition Bureau and EU DG Competition, regulators must determine if this new entity truly fosters competition or simply creates a new, massive gatekeeper. The undisclosed terms of the deal only add to the skepticism regarding how this consolidation will impact smaller developers.
These developments occur against a backdrop of broader economic volatility. Global government bond yields have reached multi-decade highs, and oil prices have surged to $91 per barrel following military exchanges between the U.S. and Iran. Even in healthcare, the struggle for fair market practices is evident; the Obesity Action Coalition recently called on PepsiCo to reverse its decision to end GLP-1 medication coverage for employees, highlighting how corporate decisions can abruptly shift the landscape for thousands. In such a fragile environment, the unchecked consolidation of data and technology infrastructure poses a systemic risk to free-market independence. Whether in the residential streets of Chicago or the research labs of Heidelberg, the fight for open access and corporate accountability remains the primary defense against institutional overreach.
Greg Sanders serves as the Senior Correspondent for Corporate Power and Antitrust at Just Right News, where he brings a principled, conservative perspective to the complex intersection of big business, government regulation, and the American consumer. With a career dedicated to investigative depth and economic clarity, Greg has become a leading voice in examining how the consolidation of industry power impacts the foundational values of the free market and individual liberty.
Raised in Denver, Colorado, Greg’s reporting is deeply informed by the Western spirit of independence and a healthy skepticism of centralized authority. Growing up in the shadows of the Rockies, he witnessed firsthand the importance of local entrepreneurship and the vital role that small-medium enterprises play in sustaining vibrant communities. This upbringing instilled in him a belief that the American Dream is best preserved when the playing field remains level and when competition—rather than backroom deals between corporate lobbyists and federal regulators—dictates success. For Greg, the rugged individualism of his home state serves as a constant reminder that the economy should serve the people, not the other way around.
Now based in Chicago, Illinois, Greg operates from the heart of the nation’s industrial and financial crossroads. His location in the Midwest provides him with a unique vantage point to observe the real-world consequences of corporate overreach. From the boardrooms of the Loop to the manufacturing hubs that define the region, he tracks the movement of capital and the shifting tides of market influence. Chicago’s history as a center of trade and labor offers a rich backdrop for his work, allowing him to bridge the gap between high-level economic theory and the lived experiences of hardworking Americans who feel the squeeze of monopolistic practices.
At Just Right News, Greg’s beat focuses on the “new monopolies” and the rise of “woke” corporate culture. He argues that when corporations become too large, they often abandon their fiduciary duties to shareholders in favor of social engineering and political posturing. His reporting seeks to hold these “Titans” accountable, ensuring that the power of the purse is not used to silence dissent or bypass the democratic process. He is a firm advocate for the idea that true conservatism requires a vigilant defense of competition, preventing any single entity—public or private—from exerting undue control over the lives of citizens.
This mission is most clearly seen in his acclaimed feature series, “The Titans and the Toll.” In this ongoing project, Greg explores the human cost of market consolidation, from the erosion of consumer choice to the decline of local economies. Through rigorous analysis and boots-on-the-ground reporting, he documents how the concentration of power in sectors like tech, agriculture, and finance creates a “toll” paid by the average family.
Greg Sanders remains committed to the idea that a transparent, competitive market is the greatest engine for prosperity ever devised. Through his work at Just Right News, he continues to provide the essential oversight necessary to protect that engine from the encroaching influence of corporate giants and the bureaucratic structures that enable them.