Washington’s one-two antitrust punch is about to smack Big Tech


Amazon, Google, Facebook and Apple have made hundreds of acquisitions over the last decade, none of which were stopped by antitrust enforcers. — AFP

US Attorney General William Barr and Representative David Cicilline are far from ideological soulmates. But in a one-two punch, they’re about to take on the country’s biggest technology platforms and could drive the most significant changes to antitrust law enforcement in decades.

Barr, one of President Donald Trump’s most loyal cabinet members, is poised to file a monopoly-abuse lawsuit as soon as this week against Alphabet Inc’s Google. Cicilline, a Rhode Island Democrat, is preparing legislation based on last week’s report alleging wide-ranging antitrust violations by Google, Facebook Inc, Apple Inc and Amazon.com Inc.

Limited time offer:
Just RM5 per month.

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month
RM5/month

Billed as RM5/month for the 1st 6 months then RM13.90 thereafters.

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month

Billed as RM148.00/year

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Antitrust laws

   

Next In Tech News

Report: AI is smarter than a person, sometimes
Scientists develop ‘intelligent’ liquid with programmable response
Restaurants are putting digital detox on the menu with smartphone-free dining
To stand out in the job market, get to grips with ChatGPT
Amazon ad exec Aubrey steps aside for new role
Stablecoin Tether gets boost as dollar alternative in emerging markets, CEO says
Google scraps minimum wage, benefits rules for suppliers and staffing firms
Trump media shares gain as it suggests 'potential market manipulation'
Apple's offer to open up tap-and-go tech to be approved by EU next month, sources say
Dutch privacy watchdog recommends government organisations stop using Facebook

Others Also Read