Benjamin Shiller

Benjamin Shiller is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at Brandeis University, with additional affiliations at the Brandeis International Business School. He is also a CESifo Research Network Affiliate at the Ifo Institute for Economic Research in Munich, Germany, and has previously held visiting positions at Harvard Business School and the National Bureau of Economic Research.

• Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
• B.A., Brandeis University

His research lies at the intersection of industrial organization and technological change, focusing on how digitization transforms markets. Key areas include personalized pricing using big data, the economic effects of ad blocking, digital distribution of entertainment, resale restrictions, and consumer data tracking. His work incorporates empirical analysis and theoretical modeling to assess market efficiency, firm profitability, and consumer welfare in digital economies.

Shiller’s publications explore trends in digital markets, particularly how firms leverage consumer data to optimize pricing strategies. His research suggests that personalized pricing based on browsing behavior could significantly increase firm profits—by up to 12% in the case of Netflix—raising concerns about fairness and consumer exploitation. He also investigates how digital platforms adapt to countermeasures like ad blockers and how digital goods reshape traditional resale markets.

His research has been featured in prominent outlets including The Atlantic, The Economist, Forbes, The Guardian, VOX EU, and The Washington Post, reflecting its policy relevance and public impact.

Benjamin Shiller has advised on digital market design and contributed to debates on privacy, competition, and pricing ethics. While no formal grants are listed in the provided texts, his affiliations with CESifo, CEPR, and NBER suggest active participation in funded research networks. He integrates his research directly into his teaching curriculum, ensuring students engage with cutting-edge issues in digital economics.

He is affiliated with research platforms including Google Scholar, The Conversation, CEPR/VOX EU, and ResearchGate, and contributes regularly to public discourse on digital economy issues.