Aggregated segregation and the minority consumer welfare

Abstract

We learn that scientific progress is inherently good, that it has improved the living conditions of all humans, and that the digital revolution is progressively helping level the playing field for all. But empirical evidence related to the effects of technological disruptions on the living conditions of minorities tells another story. Technological changes have always prioritized the welfare of a certain profile of consumer, identified in this article as the ‘non-minority standard model citizen’. Because of bias, the more distant one falls from the tree of that non-minority standard model citizen, the less one feels contemplated by corporate decisions and public policies. Bringing compelling case studies showing that technologies and public policies have been designed in a way that perpetuates the minority gap, this article shows how antitrust has been affected by a biased understanding of the consumer
and how that mistake has led to a regressive antitrust policy. Finally, I suggest adaptations that might help correct the biased approach towards the definition of consumer and create inclusive decision-making in antitrust.