US: Delrahim and Simons testify to Senate judiciary committee

Starting off on a lighter note, Senator Klobuchar (D-Minn) led off the hearing by saying,” I am pleased at all the sudden interest in our antitrust hearing… some of it has to do with our guests… I don’t think they are going to make a Saturday Night Live skit out of this hearing…”

DOJ Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim, head of the DOJ’s Antitrust Division, and FTC Chairman Joseph Simons spoke about the agencies’ antitrust enforcement and recent mergers, lawsuits, investigations, and hearings.

Delrahim spoke of how the DOJ, as part of a larger review, is reviewing two consent decrees about 70 years old that  are still used to determine how various music service providers pay to play music.

Delrahim said in response to caution regarding abruptly eliminating the consent decrees, that “We recognize the disruption and cost of just terminating without a proper transition period.”

Simons spoke of how the FTC is looking at certain sectors with significant market power. He said, “That would describe some of these big tech platforms we are all talking about.” He did not, however, mention any specific investigation.

Simons also mentioned the various large fines that have been delivered by the EU to large US tech companies and said that the FTC is working with the EU “on these issues.”

Makan Delrahim’s testimony

Joseph Simons’ testimony

Full Content: Senate Judiciary Committee, Business Insider