FANG Alert: Government Scrutiny Increases
October 21, 2019
Certain Tech Giants Under Scrutiny for Potential Anti-Competitive Practices
Apparently, the feds have been asking Oracle for dirt on their rival. The Register reports, “Oracle: Yeah, We’ve Had a Bunch of G-Men Come Sniffing Around Asking Questions About Google.” Writer John Oates reveals:
“The two tech titans have been engaged in a bitter, eight-year long battle over the disputed use of Java code in Google’s Android mobile operating system. … Ken Glueck, veep at Oracle, told Reuters that the company had been contacted by Texan investigators, the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee and the Justice Department, all of which sought information about Google and alleged violations of antitrust law.”
But it is not just Oracle being pumped for information, and it is not just about Google. Oates continues:
“Anonymous sources quoted in the same story said the House Judiciary Committee has been asking around small firms it reckons may have been damaged by tech giants’ business practices, but added that some may wait until the committee issues legally binding subpoenas because they believe that would leave them less at risk of retaliation. The committee is waiting to see how much information it can collect voluntarily before issuing legal demands.”
This news comes amid a push by the DOJ, the House Judiciary Committee, and agencies in 48 states to ferret out anti-competitive practices at Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Apple. It looks like those companies’ lawyers are about to be very busy.
Cynthia Murrell, October 21, 2019
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