The logos of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google in a combination of photo / File Photo
The U.S. House of Representatives Judicial Committee has formally approved a report accusing Big Tech companies of buying or crushing smaller companies, Representative David Cicilline’s office said Thursday.
With approval during a marathon, a partisan hearing, the more than 400-page staff report will become an official committee report, and the legislation plan to curb Google’s market power as Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL .O), Apple Inc (AAPL.O), Amazon.com (AMZN.O) and Facebook (FB.O).
The report was approved by a 24-17 vote that split on the party line. Companies have denied any wrongdoing.
The report, first published in October, the first revision at the technology industry congress, suggested extensive changes to antitrust law and described dozens of cases in which companies were said to have misused their power.
“Amazon, Apple, Google and Facebook maintain the power of the monopoly over significant sectors of our economy. This moment of monopoly must end,” Cicilline said in a statement. “Now that the Judiciary Committee has formally adopted our findings, I look forward to drafting legislation that addresses the significant concerns we have raised.”
The first bill has already been introduced. A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers led by Cicilline and Sen. Amy Klobuchar introduced legislation in March designed to make it easier for news organizations to bargain collectively with platforms like Google and Facebook.
Also in the Senate, Klobuchar introduced a broader bill in February aimed at strengthening the capacity of antitrust authorities to stop mergers by lowering the bar to stop operations and increasing resources for control authorities.
The Cicilline report, whose origins were bipartisan, contained a menu of possible changes in antitrust law.
Suggestions range from aggressive, such as banning companies like Amazon.com from operating in markets in which they also compete, to less controversial ones, such as increased budgets for antitrust law enforcement agencies, the Antitrust Division of Department of Justice and the Federal Federation. Trade Commission.
The report also urged Congress to allow antitrust authorities more leeway to prevent companies from compressing potential rivals, which is now difficult.
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