The Justice Department’s surprise Big Tech investigation was highly unusual and it could actually turn out to be good news for the tech giants…
Troy Wolverton for Business Insider:
The US Department of Justice’s surprise press release Tuesday of its Big Tech investigation was designed to send a signal to a lot of groups — but tech companies were not really one of them.
The announcement was an unusually public performance by a federal regulator which typically prizes confidentiality in such matters. That’s because it was basically a notice, intended particularly to a key figure in Congress, that the Justice Department will now be spearheading the antitrust investigations into the big tech companies, said David Balto, an antitrust lawyer in Washington D.C. with decades of experience working for and with competition regulators officials there…
Balto says that while the Justice Department may leave some issues to the FTC, Tuesday’s announcement indicates that the DOJ is laying claim to all inquiries involving online platform and marketplace issues — the core of the antitrust charges made against the big tech companies…
The Department of Justice hasn’t filed a major suit under the Sherman Antitrust Act since the Microsoft case two decades ago. And the agency actually has fewer legal options when it comes to policing competition than does the FTC, he said. “I don’t think anybody’s going to lose any more sleep that this is all with the Justice Department,” Balto said. “If anything, they’ll feel more comfortable in their legal position.”
MacDailyNews Take: Regarding Apple, the compnay does not have a monopoly or anything close to a monopoly in any market in which they compete, so the DOJ shouldn’t be wasting time on any Apple antitrust investigations. It’s ridiculous.
Google and Facebook, of course, are different stories. Any company that controls 92.62% of worldwide search on the Internet, as Google does, controls too much. And Facebook… don’t even get us started. Hopefully, the DOJ sees both of these outfits for what they are and finally proceeds accordingly.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
Apple has a monopoly on the sale of iOS application which they themselves don’t own.
That aside monopoly is not the only anti-competitive behavior protected against by anti-trust laws.
Much is at stake in terms of protecting the consumer, which is why we even have anti-trust laws, and it’s entirely proper that they ALL be investigated INCLUDING Apple.
You have a monopoly on applecynic posts. Therefor by your reasoning, you should be investigated and forced to open up your posting.
Apple doesnt own smartphone app stores. There is android which controls the majority in the US and the VAST majority world wide.
You fundamentally do not understand how relevant markets are measured in antitrust.
Holy crap! Was that a Hail Mary? It failed.
Repeat after me… Apple owns the only channel of distribution of iOS applications. That’s not even subject to debate.
iOS can be considered its own market unto itself.
And yes, I own my words, not yours. To do otherwise would be to censor you, which I would not do. Apple censors other people’s work. That too is not subject to debate, it is fact.
The only thing you can do is argue that they have the right to censor, to which I ask you…
Who owns the apps? And… who owns the device? Neither one is Apple except for their own Apps.
You own the only channel of distribution of idiotic applecynic posts and that’s not even subject to debate.
Also, youre not very bright. Sympathies to your family.
High praise sir, high praise. Now stop before you hurt yourself.
Medical professionals: So, which stage of dementia is Robert Mueller in currently?
I’m guessing Stage 4 or higher.
https://gab.com/FactChecker/posts/102497749292464049
LOL… sheesh.
Good thing for Democrats that it’s #NationalTequilaDay.
https://twitter.com/CarisSevern/status/1154201672719196161