Congress will be taking a close look at the power of big tech.
The House Judiciary Committee announced Monday that it will hold a series of hearings as part of a bipartisan investigation into whether there is enough competition among U.S. technology companies.
While no companies were named, any investigation will inevitably touch on Amazon, Facebook, Google and Apple, all of which have come under increased scrutiny in recent years for their dominance in a variety of markets including social networking, online advertising, online search, e-commerce and mobile apps.
“A small number of dominant, unregulated platforms have extraordinary power over commerce, communication, and information online,” the Judiciary Committee noted in a news release that included the names of both Democratic and Republican members. “Based on investigative reporting and oversight by international policymakers and enforcers, there are concerns that these platforms have the incentive and ability to harm the competitive process.”
“The Antitrust Subcommittee will conduct a top-to-bottom review of the market power held by giant tech platforms. This is the first time Congress has undertaken an investigation into this behavior.”
War erupts on far left as DSA endorses challenger against sitting House progressive
Mamdani’s ‘deranged’ Israel take resurfaces as he targets Netanyahu
Houthis declare naval blockade of Saudi Arabia, escalating crisis
Trump shares first picture of JD Vance’s baby boy
Cops Find Dead Body at $1.1 Million Home Owned by Ayanna Pressley’s Husband
Trump Takes Over World Cup Finale, Helps Distribute Trophies After Fists Flew at End of Championship Game
Woke language overhaul would strip the word ‘inmate’ from New York City’s entire jail rulebook
FBI alleges suspect ‘deployed an incendiary device outside’ federal building
NORAD Fighter Jets Intercept Multiple Aircraft Infringing on Restricted U.S. Airspace
Minnesota’s Biggest Paper Cheers Tim Walz For Pardoning Child Rapist, Says He Was Justified Because of Jan 6
Andy Burnham appointed Britain’s new prime minister
Socialist-backed Michigan Senate hopeful calls American politics a ‘disease’ after professing love for US
Anti-ICE walkout exposes how school district ‘failed’ parents, risked student safety: ‘Broken my trust’
RNC trolls DNC, Maine Democratic Party in letter offering to help restore trust, ‘defend democracy’
Nurses and teachers unions bankroll leftist candidates and causes
One area of the investigation is likely to be particularly unwelcome among tech executives: The committee said it would look into whether existing antitrust laws and enforcement levels are adequate to address the growing concentration of power in the tech industry.
“Given the growing tide of concentration and consolidation across our economy, it is vital that we investigate the current state of competition in digital markets and the health of the antitrust laws,” committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., said in the announcement.
The news comes just as the federal government has reportedly been preparing to ramp up its antitrust oversight of U.S. tech companies amid growing political pressure that has included increasing scrutiny from both parties.
Google and Amazon declined to comment. Requests for comment from Apple and Facebook were not immediately returned.
Calls to rein in major U.S. tech companies — either by cracking down on how the companies use their power or by breaking them up — began to circulate in recent years among some academics and activists but did not receive mainstream attention until the past year, when elected officials and even some in the tech industry began openly call for action.
War erupts on far left as DSA endorses challenger against sitting House progressive
Mamdani’s ‘deranged’ Israel take resurfaces as he targets Netanyahu
Houthis declare naval blockade of Saudi Arabia, escalating crisis
Trump shares first picture of JD Vance’s baby boy
Cops Find Dead Body at $1.1 Million Home Owned by Ayanna Pressley’s Husband
Trump Takes Over World Cup Finale, Helps Distribute Trophies After Fists Flew at End of Championship Game
Woke language overhaul would strip the word ‘inmate’ from New York City’s entire jail rulebook
FBI alleges suspect ‘deployed an incendiary device outside’ federal building
NORAD Fighter Jets Intercept Multiple Aircraft Infringing on Restricted U.S. Airspace
Minnesota’s Biggest Paper Cheers Tim Walz For Pardoning Child Rapist, Says He Was Justified Because of Jan 6
Andy Burnham appointed Britain’s new prime minister
Socialist-backed Michigan Senate hopeful calls American politics a ‘disease’ after professing love for US
Anti-ICE walkout exposes how school district ‘failed’ parents, risked student safety: ‘Broken my trust’
RNC trolls DNC, Maine Democratic Party in letter offering to help restore trust, ‘defend democracy’
Nurses and teachers unions bankroll leftist candidates and causes
In March, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., publicly called for the break-up of Facebook, Google and Amazon. Since then, other prominent Democrats and even some Republicans have voiced support for either splitting up the major tech companies or taking action to address their power. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., recently told NBC News that he thought Warren’s plan to break up the companies might not go far enough.
While public sentiment has also turned on some tech companies, Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis, the ranking member of the antitrust subcommittee, cautioned against jumping to conclusions.
“As the world becomes more dependent on a digital marketplace, we must discuss how the regulatory framework is built to ensure fairness and competition,” Sensenbrenner said. “I believe these hearings can be informative, but it is important for us to avoid any predetermined conclusions.”
Story cited here.
