Mikey Campbell
The U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee expects to deliver a final report on an investigation into potential antitrust breaches by big technology companies, including Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google, in the first part of 2020.
Antitrust panel chair Rep. David Cicilline revealed the committee's tentative timeline in a hearing on Friday, reports Reuters.
"Our hope is to conclude our evidence collection end of this year, beginning of next year with the idea that we will have a final report, instead of recommendations in the first part of next year," Cicilline said.
On Thursday, the Judiciary Committee said it received "initial submissions" of documents related to the antitrust probe from Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google parent company Alphabet. Each of the four firms has been tasked with divulging what is thought to be a large amount of data relating to a variety of anti-competition issues.
Apple, for example, was asked to provide documents pertaining to digital markets. Among the issues pertaining to Apple is its tight control of the App Store, so-called "Sherlocking" of third-party apps and features, and stringent regulations applied to parental control apps.
During the Friday hearing, Rohit Chopra, Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission, said tech companies can potentially leverage consumer data collected through free services to gain an unfair advantage over competitors. He added that regulators will need to brainstorm new penalties for firms that participate in illegal activities, as financial sanctions alone will not suffice, the report said.
Along with the House probe, big tech's business strategies are being scrutinized by state and federal courts, as well as the Department of Justice.
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22 Comments
If the Democratic Party goes after banks, I see little reason they shouldn’t go after these tech companies either.
I'm just hoping the House has some unbiased technical people who can cut through the political crap presented by House representatives, corporate lobbyists, CEOs and the WH. Rep. David Cicilline is a lawyer (Brown University (BA), Georgetown University (JD)) and he's the antitrust chair. He probably knows the law but does he understand the complexities of the bug tech firms and their products.
Can’t we just agree, private information should stay private? And, make it happen...
I’m not that worried about software and service monopolies... someone will eventually build a better mouse trap.
The house and basically all politicians are completely clueless on this matter. All you have to do is watch the testimony and hearings. Regardless of party affiliation, they are generally clueless about how these things actually work. From algorithms, to curated feeds, to shadow banning, etc.