Google, Facebook and Apple are sending executives to testify in front of a Congressional panel investigating big techs’ competitive practices, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.
The July 16 hearing will see the Silicon Valley giants face-off against Republicans and Democrats who believe the internet platforms have become too dominant. They will appear before the House antitrust subcommittee, led by Democratic Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, the report notes.
Google’s Director of Economic Policy Adam Cohen, Amazon lawyer Nate Sutton, Facebook’s Head of Global Policy Development Matt Perault and Apple’s Chief Compliance Officer Kyle Andeer are among those scheduled to testify. Former Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Maureen Ohlhausen will also appear and answer questions.
Dozens of cardboard cutouts of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg are seen during an Avaaz.org protest outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., April 10, 2018. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein
The probe, which was announced by Cicilline, is expected to be far-reaching and comes as Democrats and Republicans are walloping Silicon Valley. The investigation will not focus on any one company, Cicilline told reporters in June. (RELATED: House Democrats Announce An Antitrust Investigation Into Big Tech)
The Wall Street Journal reported in June that the Department of Justice is preparing an antitrust probe of its own against Google’s search engine and business model. It would be the first such investigation since the Federal Trade Commission conducted a probe of Google but closed it in 2013 without taking action.
Conservatives and liberals have become increasingly critical of big tech. Facebook was scrutinized after Russia used its platform to intervene in American politics. Lawmakers are also unsure about the companies assurances that they are careful handling private data.
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