U.S. Lawmakers Seek Information From Big Tech Competitors in Antitrust Probe -- Update
September 17 2019 - 12:47PM
Dow Jones News
By Ryan Tracy and John D. McKinnon
WASHINGTON -- The House Judiciary Committee is seeking
information from competitors to large technology firms as it probes
whether they have abused their market power, according to people
familiar with the matter.
Letters sent to the competitors follow detailed document
requests sent Friday to Amazon.com Inc., Facebook Inc., Apple Inc.
and Google parent Alphabet Inc.
Representatives of lawmakers on the committee either declined to
comment or didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
The companies didn't immediately respond to requests for
comment. In response to the House probe, the four firms have said
they are willing to work with authorities and touted the benefits
their products provide to consumers.
The additional letters went to dozens of companies, some of the
people said. What information the letters seek hasn't yet been made
public. Information from companies that compete with the tech
giants could be helpful to lawmakers in understanding the markets
in which the tech giants operate, and the effect of the tech
giants' business practices.
Antitrust regulators at the Justice Department, the Federal
Trade Commission and states are also probing the big technology
companies' practices, as are regulators in Europe and other
countries. Officials in those probes have also often sought to
learn from the tech giants' competitors through meetings and
document requests.
Though the House panel can't take enforcement actions against
the companies, it can find facts and hold hearings, which could
increase political pressure on regulators to act. Among other
things, lawmakers Friday sought access to reams of communications
from the tech giants' top executives.
Top officials from the Justice Department and FTC are set to
testify Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee, where they
are likely to face questions about their probes as well as the two
agencies' working relationship, which appears to have frayed in
recent months.
Write to Ryan Tracy at ryan.tracy@wsj.com and John D. McKinnon
at john.mckinnon@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
September 17, 2019 12:32 ET (16:32 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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