Antitrust lawsuits, antitrust probes, and antitrust rulings aren’t anything new for big tech. It seems big tech CEOs and executives are facing government committees all of the time. But the latest package has been unveiled and faces a vote on Wednesday.
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Apple, Google, and Facebook have all faced antitrust actions, and for the most part, it all seems like theatrics with little to no results. Although, this latest package has been rumored to contain items that could affect how we use the internet and services.
According to the Economic Times:
Due for committee vote on Wednesday, the bills could pave the way for a reorganization or breakup of giants such as Google, Facebook, Apple, and Amazon while reshaping the entire internet ecosystem.
The measures would stop tech giants from operating a platform for third parties while offering competing services on those platforms, dealing a major blow to the likes of Apple and Amazon.
Economic Times
The antitrust package also has provisions to keep big tech from prioritizing services and products created by them. Other measures include data “portability” and “interoperability,” meaning users can more easily leave a platform and move to another with data and contacts intact.
The antitrust package also seeks to keep big tech from acquiring competitors, which could throw a wrench in development as big tech firms generally buy up smaller firms who already have the technology they themselves are not actually developing.
If the bills are enacted, she noted, Apple might have to sell or shut down its music service so that it doesn’t discriminate against rivals such as Spotify.
An interoperability requirement “would be very profound for consumers because it would let people join social networks other than Facebook and (Facebook-owned) Instagram and stay in contact with their friends,” Morton noted.
Economic Times
It will be interesting to see what this antitrust package produces and if it actually goes anywhere. As we’ve mentioned, big tech has been through this dance before, and for the most part, it feels more like theater and posturing on the government’s part than anything.
Be sure to check out full coverage on the Economic Times website as they have some in-depth analysis and a broader scope.
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