The world’s most valuable resource is no longer oil, but data

This article discusses the emergence digital data as the most valuable resource in the digital world. The world’s most powerful companies with control of enormous amount of data such as Google, Facebook, Apple and Microsoft have been benefitting from using data they possess to enhance their profit. These companies collectively racked up over $25 billion net profit in the first quarter of 2017. Virtually all the revenue growth in online advertising goes to Google and Facebook. The companies with vest data surveillance also have control over new entrants in the industry. They are constantly monitoring startups and buy them out if they are considered to be posing threat in the future. This raises questions on antitrust issues. Because the nature of the cases that are different from industrial era, different approaches to antitrust issues have been suggested. 

http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21721656-data-economy-demands-new-approach-antitrust-rules-worlds-most-valuable-resource