Democrats to Betray Silicon Valley
Democratic lawmakers are pushing to break up Big Tech companies following the completion of an investigation by the House Antitrust Subcommittee.
The 15-month investigation involved more than 1 million documents and a hearing with the CEOs of Google, Apple, Amazon, and Facebook.
Investigation lead Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) is expected to propose a sort of “Glass-Steagall for the Internet” that would force Big Tech companies to separate their platforms from other businesses. For example, Amazon could be banned from competing with sellers on its own website and Google could be forced to stop advertising its services alongside search engine results.
“You can’t set all the rules, control the marketplace, and also sell on it, in the way that Amazon does,” argues Cicilline.
Republicans largely agree with Cicilline’s concerns, though they worry how the subcommittee’s proposal could affect Big Tech’s power in digital markets as well as other industries that operate online.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt that both sides think there is a problem,” says Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND). “We would be better served by attacking very narrow problem sets and seeing if we could come up with a solution.”
Critics insist that consumers should be responsible for their own choices and that platform separation would make it harder for companies to make a profit.
“The consumer is the one ultimately making the decisions,” argues Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. “They’re making the decisions about what to buy, what price to buy it at, who to buy it from.”
It’s true that consumers are making their own decisions, but the way Amazon prioritizes its own products in search results can make it difficult to find third-party sellers.
“One feature dominant digital platforms share is that they have integrated across business lines such that they both operate a platform and market their own goods and services on it,” argues Lina Khan, a top staffer for Mr. Cicilline. “This structure places dominant platforms in direct competition with some of the businesses that depend on them, creating a conflict of interest that platforms can exploit to further entrench their dominance, thwart competition, and stifle innovation.”
In the meantime, the Trump Administration continues to investigate Google and Facebook for antitrust violations and could bring lawsuits against those companies.
Neither Trump nor Biden have called to break up Big Tech companies.
Author’s Note: Ironic that the Dems are encouraging competition (i.e. capitalism) in an industry fiercely loyal to the Democratic Party.
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LMBO!!!!!
Critics say it will be harder for companies to make a profit. Aren’t these critics the same people who hate corporations – hate big business – hate rich people? The critics of breaking up the tech companies are the ones pushing for socialism….including Bezos. They all fall into the “Do as I say, not as I do” Democratic party.
I agree. Once again, the Dems are showing us the definition of hypocrisy.
Yea, right, Bezos is a critic of anybody who would upend his power. Who’d a thought it?!
This is just ridiculous that they control the flow of information and then try to tell us that based on the flow of that information we’re making decisions for ourselves. What a lie. They need to be broken up, all of them.
– Fix the big tech monopolies
– Stop the lying media
– Fire the deep state scoundrels
And then let America breathe again!
Every so often a farmer/rancher has to drain his stock ponds to scrape the bottom and muck it out. Toxins and chemical debris will at times buildup across the bottom and it has to be cleaned out. Mucking out a pond is a nasty business, but is necessary to do. Our President Trump is just such a man we voters made responsible for “mucking out the swamp.” A nasty business, and what the normal mostly Democrat out there does not understand that when in the bottom of the pond, one does not quit the mucking till the job is finished. No one can come for a cool and clean drink of water till the job is done.
A rough analogy perhaps, but the bottom line is that nothing can survive if we all continue to drink from a toxic and dirty pond, ie; swamp. So back your ears folks, and get into the swamp and do your part to muck out the toxicity that has built up over the past 75 years. Washing DC is a stinking, toxic place and needs to get a mucking like we never seen before.
Boy, do I agree with you!! That swamp has existed and grown for decades and is now toxic to the people of America and needs to be cleaned out as soon as possible! demon rats don’t want it exposed as too many will probably face legal charges and pay the price for their crimes! Trump is not a play the game politician, but a businessman who saw what needed to be done and won the election to the great horror of Demon rats. There is so much crime and debauchery in DC that it makes the Mafia and crime cartels look like PTA a meetings! Hooray Trump, keepcleaning,the swamp creatures are being exposed and fighting back, but together we can win!
Boy, do I agree with you!! That swamp has existed and grown for decades and is now toxic to the people of America and needs to be cleaned out as soon as possible! demon rats don’t want it exposed as too many will probably face legal charges and pay the price for their crimes! Trump is not a play the game politician, but a businessman who saw what needed to be done and won the election to the great horror of Demon rats. There is so much crime and debauchery in DC that it makes the Mafia and crime cartels look like PTA a meetings! Hooray Trump, keepcleaning,the swamp creatures are being exposed and fighting back, but together we can win!
I do believe something needs to be done about the big tech monopoly, but every time the Democrats come up with some comprehensive program to deal with a situation, it is fraught with unforeseen consequences. Why is it that Congress can never pass legislation that deals only with a single issue and that all programs once enacted are set in stone never to be undone?