US House starts its tech antitrust probe with a focus on free press

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 30: A billboard with an image of Democratic presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) on May 30, 2019 in San Francisco, California. The presidential campaign for U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren posted a billboard in the South of Market Area of San Francisco that calls for breaking up big tech. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

A congressional panel conducting a broad antitrust investigation into the nation’s biggest technology companies is starting with scrutiny over how companies like Alphabet Inc’s Google and Facebook Inc have devastated the news industry. 

The first hearing on June 11 of the House Judiciary antitrust subcommittee, led by Rhode Island Democrat David Cicilline, is set to explore the market power online platforms have over the news publishers, including their role in digital advertising, data collection and privacy.