Congress implored to act swiftly to rein in Big Tech’s anti-competitive behavior and acquisitions

WASHINGTON — Today, the House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee’s hearing on Big Tech featured a powerful series of statements from across the political spectrum in support of robust reinvigoration and enforcement of antitrust laws against the platform monopolies. The hearing comes just days before the committee plans to release its long-awaited report and recommendations following its investigation of America’s largest tech companies.

Sally Hubbard, director of enforcement strategy at Open Markets Institute, testified at the hearing and released this statement in response:

“Chairman Cicilline has led a historic effort by the Antitrust Subcommittee to uncover major evidence that Facebook, Amazon, Apple, and Google have used anti-competitive conduct and acquisitions to grow and maintain their monopoly power. They have done the work to open Americans’ eyes to the widespread harms that flow from the illegal monopolization of digital markets. Now, we need Congress, our government agencies, and the state attorneys general to respond by working together to disperse Big Tech’s monopoly power by unlocking competition.

“Congress should legislate bright-line rules and presumptions to remove complexity and make antitrust cases easier, faster, and cheaper. It should structurally eliminate the platforms’ conflicts of interest and remove their incentives and abilities to self-preference. It should require the platforms to offer equal access on equal terms to all, benefiting citizens as sellers of goods, consumers, and as speakers. And, immediately, it should ban the harmful surveillance-based hypertargeting of content that threatens our election and our national security.”

Read Hubbard’s full testimony here.

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