New California antitrust powers target monopolies and monopsony

The COMPETE Act/AB 1776 authorizes the attorney general and district attorneys to pursue unilateral monopolization and monopsony claims based on substantial market power, potentially expanding scrutiny of dominant technology firms and labor-market power. The absence of a private right of action, unresolved market-definition standards, interaction with the UCL, and federal-preemption risks make future prosecutorial choices and litigation the key tests.