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Klobuchar Statement on Justice Department Review of Competition Across Big Tech Platforms

Statement

Date: July 23, 2019
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Business and Consumers

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, released this statement following the Department of Justice's announcement that their Antitrust Division is reviewing whether and how several big tech companies have engaged in anticompetitive practices and hurt consumers.

"For some time, I have been calling on the antitrust agencies to look into anticompetitive practices by the large online platforms as well as for increased transparency. The American people deserve to know whether these tech giants are unlawfully stifling competition and how our laws and enforcers can encourage innovation while protecting consumers. I will work to ensure that this review and any resulting investigations are thorough, public, and result in action that actually helps consumers."

In her role as Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, Klobuchar has championed efforts to protect consumers, promote competition, and fight consolidation in several industries including the telecommunications, agriculture, and pharmaceutical industries. In June, she led efforts to obtain details about possible Federal Trade Commission antitrust investigations into Amazon and Facebook and possible Justice Department antitrust investigations into Google and Apple. In the letters, the senators requested information regarding the existence and scope of the potential investigations. In April, Klobuchar and Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to take action in response to concerns regarding potential privacy, data security, and antitrust violations involving online platforms. They also called on the FTC to provide additional transparency into its ongoing investigations to ensure that consumers are protected from harmful conduct relating to digital markets.


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