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The a16z Show · Monday, July 27, 2026

Critique of 'Regulatory Capture' in Tech

Steven Sinofsky touches upon the concept of 'regulatory capture,' where industries influence the regulations governing them. He notes that while companies often present self-serving reasons for specific regulations, this dynamic has been a historical feature of government-industry relations.

The tape

3 quotes
And in fact, everybody knew that's what was happening. And that's called regulatory capture.
Steven Sinofsky
That they know the companies are saying, do this thing because it's good for everybody. They always have good reasons.
Steven Sinofsky
They always say, oh, the products will be better, or the price will be lower, or there'll be much clearer lines of service and the marketplace will be more fair.
Steven Sinofsky
Heard on The a16z Show — “Steven Sinofsky: AI Doesn't Need New Rules Yet, published Monday, July 27, 2026. Heardvine summarizes and quotes with attribution and timestamps, and links to the original everywhere.
Transcribed via Gemini audio transcription · $0.04
Critique of 'Regulatory Capture' in Tech — Heardvine