U.S. House panel to vote Wednesday on bills targeting Big Tech
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[June 18, 2021]
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S.
House Judiciary Committee will vote on Wednesday on a package of six
antitrust bills, including several targeting the market power of Big
Tech, the panel said on Thursday.
The bills will be marked up in committee to consider changes and then
voted on by the panel to decide whether the full House of
Representatives should vote on the measures.
Two of the bills address the issue of giant companies, such as
Amazon.com Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google, creating a platform for other
businesses and then competing against those same businesses.
These bills - one of which would force companies to sell businesses -
have attracted the most opposition. Some pro-tech groups have said they
could mean the end of popular promotions like Amazon Prime free shipping
and iMessage in iPhones.
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In addition to the two bills aimed at conflict of interest in platforms'
businesses, a third bill would require a platform to refrain from any
merger unless it can show the acquired company does not compete with any
product or service the platform is in. A fourth would require platforms
to allow users to transfer their data elsewhere, including to a
competing business.
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![](../images/061821PIX/news_n25.jpg)
The logo of Google is seen on a building at La Defense business and
financial district in Courbevoie near Paris, France, September 1,
2020. REUTERS/Charles Platiau
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The House members also introduced a fifth bill, a
companion to a measure that has already passed the Senate and would
increase the budgets of antitrust enforcers and make companies
planning the biggest mergers pay more.
A sixth bill would ensure that state attorneys general are able to
remain in the court they select rather than having their cases moved
to a court the defendant prefers.
(Reporting by Eric Beech and Diane Bartz; Editing by Christopher
Cushing)
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