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With a new 6(b) study, the FTC reassesses antitrust enforcement

By  |  March 30, 2020

Caitlin Chin, Brookings Institution

Two years ago, Brookings Institution scholars William Galston and Clara Hendrickson highlighted signs that U.S. antitrust enforcement was undergoing a “serious re-evaluation.” Around that time, members of both the House and Senate introduced antitrust bills, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing to evaluate the consumer welfare standard, and the Department of Justice filed an appeal to the proposed AT&T and Time Warner merger.

But since then, even more signs have emerged. Last month, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sent special orders to Alphabet, Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Microsoft, requesting that each company submit detailed documentation regarding previously unreported acquisitions from 2010 to 2019.

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