[ad_1]
The investigation by the Democratic Party comes as the Ministry of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission are preparing for a possible investigation on Google, according to three people close to the case. Regulators have been negotiating to divide technology industry monitoring between the two agencies in recent weeks, said these people. The two agencies would also have separated from the surveillance of Amazon, Apple and Facebook.
Long cherished by investors and politicians, the information technology industry is under intense pressure amid numerous privacy breaches, scandals of misinformation and allegations of anti-competitive behavior. Industry critics such as the Democratic Senator of Massachusetts, presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren, have called for tough new regulations and demanded the dissolution of the companies.
The probe of the industry will be vast. Rhode Island's Democratic Representative David Cicilline, who heads the antitrust committee's subcommittee and conducts the investigation, said his focus was less on targeting specific companies than "considerable concentration of power". market "owned by the main platforms of Silicon Valley.
Committee officials informed Amazon, Apple, Google and Facebook of the upcoming investigation. Cicilline said he wanted to hear from senior technology officials and that he would not hesitate to give subpoenas to companies that would not cooperate.
The investigation is also partly a coup against antitrust agencies, which, he said, have been too slow to act.
"I do not really believe that these agencies will do the work," said Cicilline.
While the Congress does not have the power to dismantle large technology companies or impose fines, it has the ability to compel representatives to testify, gather documents and provoke public debate.
The survey will likely lead to a report outlining possible policy recommendations, Ciciline said, and could lead to new legislation in the coming months. According to Ciciline, this is the first time Congress has launched a major antitrust investigation for decades.
"The open Internet has brought enormous benefits to Americans, including a wealth of economic opportunities, massive investments and new avenues for online education," said House Judiciary President Jerrold Nadler. "But it is becoming increasingly apparent that a limited number of access controllers have come to take control of the major arteries of online commerce, content and communications."
[ad_2]
Source link