Antitrust scrutiny of large tech platforms at both the state and federal level will continue to ramp up this week.
A bipartisan group of state attorneys general is scheduled to announce on Sept. 9 a multistate probe into whether large tech companies have "engaged in anti-competitive behavior that stifled competition, restricted access, and harmed consumers," according to a media advisory from the office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
While the media advisory from Paxton's office said the investigation targets "large tech companies," The Washington Post reported Sept. 3 that the investigation will focus on Alphabet Inc.'s Google LLC. The Wall Street Journal reported Sept. 6 that formal civil subpoenas are likely as a part of the effort.
The announcement followed a series of recent federal and state scrutiny of large tech companies.
In July, the U.S. Department of Justice announced an antitrust review into "whether and how market-leading online platforms have achieved market power and are engaging in practices that have reduced competition, stifled innovation, or otherwise harmed consumers."
In a regulatory filing released Sept. 6, Alphabet disclosed that it had received a civil investigative demand from DOJ that requested information and documents related to previous antitrust investigations in the U.S. and elsewhere.
Alphabet said it expects to receive similar investigative demands from state attorneys general.
According to an August report in The Wall Street Journal, the DOJ has been collaborating with state attorneys general to discuss competitions in the tech industry.
Beyond the Sept. 9 announcement, state officials have remained active in probing competition concerns elsewhere in the tech industry. On Sept. 6, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that the attorneys general of at least eight states and the District of Columbia are investigating whether Facebook Inc. abused its dominant market position to engage in anti-competitive behavior.
Facebook's antitrust concerns extend to the federal level as well. In July, the company disclosed that it was being investigated by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission for antitrust concerns, shortly after it agreed to pay a $5 billion fine to settle FTC-documented privacy violations.
The FTC also announced in February that it had formed a task force to monitor competition in U.S. technology markets.
Congress will partake in the ongoing scrutiny of online platforms and market power this week. A House Judiciary Committee subcommittee will continue its own ongoing investigation into competition in digital markets on Sept. 12 with a hearing on the role of data and privacy in competition.
Witnesses for the hearing have not yet been announced.
When the committee announced its investigation in June, it said its multipart investigation will focus on documenting competition problems in digital markets; assessing if "dominant" firms are engaging in anti-competitive conduct; and examining whether current antitrust laws, competition policies and enforcement are sufficient to address the issues outlined.
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Government |
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| Sept. 9 |
A bipartisan group of state attorneys general will announce in Washington, D.C., the launch of a multistate antitrust probe into large tech companies. | ||
| Sept. 10 |
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration will host an event titled "NTIA Spectrum Policy Symposium: Looking to America's Spectrum Future |
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| Sept. 10 |
Multiple House subcommittees will host a joint hearing titled "Securing the Nation's Internet Architecture |
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| Sept. 11 |
A House Committee on Energy and Commerce subcommittee will host a hearing titled "Legislating to Connect America: Improving the Nation's Broadband Maps |
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| Sept. 12 |
The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary will host a hearing titled "Online Platforms and Market Power, Part 3: The Role of Data and Privacy in Competition |
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| Industry, legal and think tank events |
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| Sept. 10 |
Georgetown Law School will host an event titled "2019 Global Antitrust Enforcement Symposium |
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| Sept. 10 |
The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation will host an event titled "How the United States Can Maintain Its Lead in the Global AI Race |
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| Sept. 11 |
The Brookings Institution will host an event titled "Protecting information privacy: Challenges and opportunities in federal legislation |
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| Sept. 12 |
The law firm Wiley Rein LLP will host a webinar on 5G and security. | ||
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New York attorney general announces multistate antitrust probe into Facebook
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