Justice Department Opens Antitrust Review of Big Tech Companies.

[elleng]

Source: nyt

The agency said it would look into concerns about anticompetitive behavior by some of the technology industry’s biggest companies.

The Justice Department did not name specific companies in a news release announcing the review, but noted that it would look into concerns about search, social media and some retail services — presumably putting Google, Facebook and Amazon on notice.

This latest review comes on the heels of the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission splitting up potential antitrust investigations into the three companies and Apple.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/23/technology/justice-department-tech-antitrust.html

[berni_mccoy]

1. Amazed DoJ is picking up Warren's initiative

Unless they intend to white-wash it.

[TeamPooka]

5. This is going to be about how the treat conservatives and why they ban hate speech etc. Nothing real

Warren wants.

[HiloHatti]

2. OK, Now Do the Broadcast Industry

It’s time to repeal the Telecommunications Act of 1998 signed into law by Bill Clinton. It has fueled the right wing control of media, especially terrestrial radio.

[The Mouth]

8. Time to go back to the

Fairness Doctrine

[mahatmakanejeeves]

3. Justice Department to Open Broad, New Antitrust Review of Big Tech Companies

DOJ Launches Antitrust Probe Of Big Tech Platforms

POLITICS
Justice Department to Open Broad, New Antitrust Review of Big Tech Companies
Inquiry signals Barr’s deep interest in tech sector, poses threat to companies such as Facebook, Google, Amazon, Apple

By Brent Kendall

https://twitter.com/brkend
[e-mail]

Updated July 23, 2019 5:34 pm ET

WASHINGTON—The Justice Department is opening a broad antitrust review into whether dominant technology firms are unlawfully stifling competition, adding a new Washington threat for companies such as Facebook Inc., Google, Amazon.com Inc. and Apple Inc. ... The review is geared toward examining the practices of online platforms that dominate internet search, social media and retail services, the department said, confirming the review shortly after The Wall Street Journal reported it.

The new antitrust inquiry is the strongest signal yet of Attorney General William Barr’s deep interest in the tech sector, and it could ratchet up the already considerable regulatory pressures facing the top U.S. tech firms. The review is designed to go above and beyond recent plans for scrutinizing the tech sector that were crafted by the department and the Federal Trade Commission.

The two agencies, which share antitrust enforcement authority, in recent months worked out which one of them would take the lead on exploring different issues involving the big-four tech giants. Those turf agreements caused a stir in the tech industry and rattled investors. Now, the new Justice Department review could amplify the risk, because some of those companies could face antitrust claims from both the Justice Department and the FTC. ... The FTC in February created its own task force to monitor competition in the tech sector; that team’s work is ongoing.

The Justice Department will examine issues including how the most dominant tech firms have grown in size and might—and expanded their reach into additional businesses. The Justice Department also is interested in how Big Tech has leveraged the powers that come with having very large networks of users, the department said. ... There is no defined end-goal yet for the Big Tech review other than to understand whether there are antitrust problems that need addressing, but a broad range of options are on the table, the officials said. The department’s inquiry could eventually lead to more focused investigations of specific company conduct, they said.
....

—Ryan Tracy contributed to this article.

Write to Brent Kendall at [e-mail]

[elleng]

4. Uh Oh, 'Inquiry signals Barr's deep interest in tech sector.'

[Captain Zero]

6. This to shut up Bezos' Washington Post

Also to begin censorship of the internet since it is so un-American. And Trump can't let them get away with that. I think the Trump Regime has now seized the DOJ and FBI.

[elleng]

7. 'Trump Regime has now seized the DOJ and FBI'

[cstanleytech]

10. Well he already has the head of the DOJ willing to obstruct justice.

[cstanleytech]

9. Bullshit review being conducted because certain people feel their widdle right to be bigots

are being trampled on by the companies kicking them off of their service.

[RobinA]

11. What About The King

of anti-competitive, Microsoft????