The logos of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google in a combination Photo / File Photo
The US House of Representatives Judicial Committee has formally approved a report accusing Big Tech companies of buying or crushing smaller companies, Representative David Cicillin’s office said in a statement on Thursday.
With approval at a marathon, partisan hearing, the more than 400-page staff report becomes an official commission report and the blueprint for legislation to curb the market power of the likes of Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL.O) Google, Apple. Inc (AAPL.O), Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O), and Facebook Inc (FB.O).
The report was approved by a vote of 24-17 divided along party lines. The companies have denied any wrongdoing.
The report, first released in October – the tech industry’s first such congressional review – suggested extensive changes to antitrust laws and described dozens of instances where it said the companies had abused their power.
“Amazon, Apple, Google and Facebook each have monopolistic power over important sectors of our economy. This monopoly moment must end,” Cicilline said in a statement. “I look forward to passing legislation that addresses the major concerns we have raised.”
The first bill has already been submitted. A bipartisan group of US lawmakers led by Cicilline and Senator Amy Klobuchar introduced legislation in March to make it easier for news organizations to negotiate jointly with platforms like Google and Facebook.
Also in the Senate, Klobuchar introduced a broader bill in February to bolster the ability of antitrust enforcers to stop mergers by lowering the bar for stopping deals and giving them more money for legal battles.
The Cicillin Report, which had a dual origin, contained a menu of possible changes to the antitrust law.
Republicans have criticized Big Tech companies for allegedly censoring conservative speeches, pointing to the freezing or banning of former President Donald Trump’s access to the platforms by Facebook and Twitter.
Despite their anger, most Republicans did not support the report’s proposed changes to the antitrust laws, but instead talked about stripping the legal protections of social media companies they enjoy under section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. The law gives companies immunity from content posted by users on their sites.
The proposed legislation in the report ranged from aggressive legislation, such as potentially preventing companies like Amazon.com from exploiting the markets in which they compete, to less controversial legislation, such as increasing the budgets of the bodies that enforce antitrust laws – the antitrust laws. of the Ministry of Justice. Division and the Federal Trade Commission.
The report also urged Congress to give antitrust enforcers more leeway to dissuade companies from buying potential rivals, something that is difficult now.
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