What a difference a decade makes

After years failing to rein in big tech, the FTC announced a sweeping inquiry into the social media and video streaming industry — less than a week after filing suit against Facebook.

Photo by Susan Walsh/AP

For much of the 2010s, big tech moved with unmatched scale and speed that left states and regulators in their tracks. As Jay Owens at the Guardian wrote last year, tech companies produced a positive feedback loop of growth since each new user improved the utility of their services and operating expenses stayed relatively flat even…