The heads of several of the largest technology companies in the US are speaking to Congress to testify before the House Judiciary Antimonopoly Subcommittee on Wednesday at 9 am PT / noon ET. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg are slated to appear.
The audience was postponed two days so Washington could mourn John Lewis, a Democratic representative and civil rights leader, who died on July 17 of pancreatic cancer.
What is under discussion at the hearing is the “ongoing investigation of the subcommittee’s competition in the digital marketplace.” All companies have significant influence over their markets, with each facing an investigation by the Justice Department or a coalition of state attorneys general.
“Since last June, the subcommittee has been investigating the dominance of a small number of digital platforms and the adequacy of existing antitrust laws and their enforcement,” said House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler and antitrust subcommittee chairman David Cicilline in a joint statement.
“Given the central role these corporations play in the lives of the American people, it is critical that their CEOs be forthcoming. As we have said from the beginning, your testimony is essential for us to complete this investigation.”
The four executives began filing their respective antitrust defenses Tuesday night, with each posting their opening remarks. You can read opening statements here.
It is only a few hours before the hearing begins, this is how it can continue.
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Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google will be called by Congress
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When is the hearing?
The hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, July 29 at 9 am PT / noon ET. It is unclear how long the procedures will last.
Where is the hearing held?
The hearing is currently scheduled to take place at the Rayburn House office building in Washington, DC.
Will the executives appear in person?
In announcing the hearing, the attached press release noted that “under current House rules, witnesses and members can virtually appear.” Given the course COVID-19 pandemic, executives are expected to appear remotely.
How can i look
The House subcommittee will broadcast the audience on its YouTube channel. It will also be broadcast on cable channels such as C-SPAN.
Why does that matter?
Regardless of what you do online, you are likely to be affected by at least one or more of these companies in a rather significant way.
Apple and Google operate the world’s two most popular mobile operating systems and respectively control iOS ‘ Apple App Store and Android Google Play Store.
Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple face antitrust concerns.
Lionel Bonaventure / AFP via Getty Images
Apple has faced growing antitrust concerns in recent months about its practices on the App Store, with the The European Union recently launched an investigation into the digital store and the The US Department of Justice is rumored to be considering a similar action.
Amazon has its gigantic presence in e-commerce and manufactures its own products, some of which compete with those of other sellers in its online store. This potential additional data that Amazon has access to was threatened after a Wall Street Journal report detailed how Amazon used that data to help it set prices, determine what features to incorporate, and decide if it was worth engaging in a product category. .
After the Journal story came out, the House called Bezos to testify.
Google and Facebook, in addition to managing the country’s most popular search engine and social network, respectively, dominate most of the digital advertising market.
Google has been under increased antitrust scrutiny by states across the country over their advertising business, with the Justice Department hopes to file his own lawsuit this summer.
Facebook revealed last year that the Federal Trade Commission launched an investigation into the company’s Instagram and WhatsApp purchases and whether they were made to stifle competition. Beyond Zuckerberg appearing before Congress, he and COO Sheryl Sandberg could be deposed by the FTC as part of its investigation.
