Biden flashes warning to Big Tech as US antitrust team takes shape

The Khan and Wu appointments come as the Internet platforms are facing a reckoning in Washington that could transform the industry. — AFP

US President Joe Biden’s plan to put two progressive antitrust scholars in top positions signals an aggressive approach to combating corporate consolidation and monopoly power, especially that wielded by technology giants such as Alphabet Inc’s Google and Facebook Inc.

Biden’s team is vetting Lina Khan, a Columbia Law School professor who specialises in antitrust law, to serve as a member of the Federal Trade Commission, according to people familiar with the matter. Last week, he named another Columbia law professor, Timothy Wu, to join the National Economic Council as a special assistant on technology and competition policy.