so now the race is to get the order in (or out) @ 29.999999985 seconds or 15nS before the batch deadline. Interesting twist on the game. Unlikely to change who wins it, could it be worse for retail punters?
We need to kill "front running" as a criticism of low-latency algo trding with fire. It's garbage.
Front running is highly illegal and is where a broker knows a client is going to do a big trade due to inside information and trades on the account of others (themselves, typically) to exploit that inside information. It's a straight up cheat.
Inferring from market data alone which way a price will move is legal, honest, been attempted since forever and absolutely fine. Also very, very difficult. Anyone who can do it makes the market more efficient, reduces the money available by doing it (which goes into investors pockets through tighter spreads) and really earns their money. You don't have to like them if you don't want to but it's worlds apart from front running using inside information.
Where did algo trading profit come from? Won by being more competitive from brokers profit with a good chunk of that broker profit going to investors. Spreads are tighter.
Where are the clients' yachts? Well tech did something about the some of the broker ripoffs earning their yachts - which puts money in your pocket.