Friday, March 29

US Lower House Members Want to Curb the Power of Large Tech Companies

Major tech companies such as Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google may be forced to review their business practices, US media report.

 

A number of members of the United States House of Representatives introduced a comprehensive set of proposals that would make it more difficult for companies to make acquisitions but also prohibit them from owning companies that are clearly each other’s competitors.

The antitrust reforms were introduced Friday by a group of politicians to reform age-old rules over the next few years. A special committee must still approve the proposals before being sent to the full House of Representatives. They also have to pass the Senate before President Joe Biden can sign them. Democrats and Republicans differed on some solutions, but they mostly agreed on the alleged damage to competition and the need for reform.

Two of the new bills introduced on Friday could prove particularly difficult for Amazon and Apple to handle. Both companies manage marketplaces where they also sell their own products or apps. They compete with those of other vendors or developers who, in turn, depend on the two.

The measures come in the wake of a lengthy investigation into the four companies, which was concluded last year by a special House antitrust committee. The company then concluded that Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google have monopoly positions and that antitrust laws need to be revised better to address the unique challenges of competition in digital markets.

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