This paper sheds new light on the role of communication for cartel formation. Using machine learning to evaluate free … cartel formation and indirect attempts to collude tacitly. We document that firms are less likely to communicate explicitly … sanctions on communication reinforces the direct cartel-deterring effect of sanctions as collusion is more difficult to reach …

innocuous communication and communication about a cartel, sanctioning only the latter. To this aim, we introduce a participant …

experiment. Based on chat communication content and price setting behavior, this authority judges whether firms formed a cartel …