By a 24-17 vote, a report has formally been approved by the US House of Representatives Judiciary Committee addressing antitrust concerns related to big tech companies like Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Google.
As reported by Reuters, Representative David Cicilline’s (D-RI) office confirmed the approval in a statement today. With this, “the more than 400-page staff report will become an official committee report, and the blueprint for legislation to rein in the market power” of Big Techs.
Amazon, Apple, Google, and Facebook each hold monopoly power over significant sectors of our economy. This monopoly moment must end. Now that the Judiciary Committee has formally adopted our findings, I look forward to crafting legislation that addresses the significant concerns we have raised.
This opens the path for a bill to be discussed and approved. As for Apple’s concern, the report argues that the company has been taking advantage of how apps are distributed on iOS devices to reduce competition with its services.
The report was first released in October when the Democratic Subcommittee on the US House Judiciary Committee shared its recommendations to change antitrust laws and prevent anti-competitive practices by Big Tech companies.
At that time, Apple responded to the committee:
[…] Our company does not have a dominant market share in any category where we do business. From its beginnings 12 years ago with just 500 apps, we’ve built the App Store to be a safe and trusted place for users to discover and download apps and a supportive way for developers to create and sell apps globally… The App Store has enabled new markets, new services, and new products that were unimaginable a dozen years ago, and developers have been primary beneficiaries of this ecosystem… We work tirelessly to deliver the best products to our customers, with safety and privacy at their core, and we will continue to do so.
While this happens, Apple is preparing for its in-person hearing about the Epic Games case in the beginning of May. Apple will also be sending chief compliance officer Kyle Andeer to an antitrust hearing on April 21.
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