House Judiciary Subcommittee Antitrust Findings On Google & Others

The big news yesterday was that the House Judiciary subcommittee on antitrust has released its findings and recommendations on how to reform laws to fit the digital age. This was a 16-month investigation into competitive practices at Google and Apple, Amazon, and Facebook.

Some of these hearings you watched on YouTube or your favorite online video platform.

In short, the report did not find much favor in Google or the other companies. In fact, they are even suggesting breaking up the companies.

CNBC has these highlights pulled out:

• After a 16-month investigation into competitive practices at Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google, the House Judiciary subcommittee on antitrust has released its findings and recommendations on how to reform laws to fit the digital age.
• The report concludes that the four Big Tech companies enjoy monopoly power and suggests Congress take up changes to antitrust laws that could result in parts of their businesses being separated.
• Republicans have voiced objections to some of the bolder proposals in the report, such as imposing structural separations.

You can download the 400-page report as a PDF over here and here is the Techmeme coverage roundup. Google’s statement is surprisingly short and over here.

Honestly, I always recommend reading Greg Sterling on these topics – he posted at Search Engine Land. He is a former lawyer, so he can read the legalize well, and he gets the search industry.

What has changed? Nothing. What will change? Hard to say. For now, carry on building stuff and keep doing your marketing as is.

Forum discussion at Twitter.

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