Big Tech State Antitrust Probes Continue During COVID-19

Multistate antitrust investigations into Facebook and Alphabet’’s Google are continuing during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, reported Bloomberg. 

“These investigations will not lose steam,” Gwendolyn Cooley, assistant attorney general with the Office of the Wisconsin Attorney General, said Tuesday, April 21, during an American Bar Association conference. 

“Whether we have COVID related elements in them, these tech investigations are going to be going full steam,” Cooley said during a webcast. 

Dozens of state attorneys general have banded together to probe whether the two tech giants have used anti-competitive tactics to stifle competition.

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The FTC and Department of Justice have reportedly divvied up the investigative responsibility for America’s biggest tech companies. Over the summer, Facebook confirmed it is being investigated by the FTC, which Simons reiterated Tuesday.

“We’ve already confirmed what Facebook disclosed, that we are in fact investigating them for potential antitrust violations,” he said. “We have other investigations going on, as well.”

Bloomberg reports the FTC is also interviewing third-party sellers on Amazon to determine whether the company is abusing its dominance.

Last summer, the Justice Department announced a review of the technology industry to find out whether there are violations of antitrust laws. No company was named in the announcement but DOJ said it would review “market-leading online platforms” with a focus on “search, social media, and some retail services online.” It’s safe to assume that the most powerful players in those industries, namely Google, Facebook, and Amazon, are under the microscope.

Full Content: Bloomberg

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