A Data Analytics Company as the Hub in a Hub-and-Spoke Cartel

In an increasing number of markets, data analytics companies are assisting firms in their pricing by training a pricing algorithm based on firms’ data and using it to recommend prices. While data analytics delivers a legitimate efficiency, there is a concern that this business relationship could be the basis for a hub-and-spoke cartel where the data analytics company is the hub and subscribing firms operating in the same market are the spokes. Indeed, that is the claim made in private litigati