Tech's Biggest Antitrust Problem May Be a Congressman from Rhode Island
David Cicilline's inquiry could do public damage to Silicon Valley in a way regulators won't
Makan Delrahim, the chief of the Justice Department’s antitrust division, gave a speech on Tuesday arguing that his department had everything it needed to pursue legal action against technology companies who wield their market power in nefarious ways. “Those who say we need new or amended antitrust laws to address monopoly concerns should look to history and take heart,” he said.
Several hours later, Representative David Cicilline, a Democrat from Rhode Island, seemed to brush Delrahim back. “Congress — not the courts, agencies, or private companies — enacted the antitrust laws,” said Cicilline, at a hearing of the House Judiciary subcommittee focused on competitive issues in the digital economy. "And Congress must be responsible for determining whether they are equipped for the competition problems of our modern economy.”