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Biden orders Big Tech monopoly clamp down

by on12 July 2021


Government getting hacked off at power

President Joe Biden is signing an executive order urging federal agencies to more aggressively police conduct by Big Tech -- including to more closely review acquisitions that thwart competition.

The action comes amid a growing backlash by lawmakers and regulators against Silicon Valley firms who seem to have more power than Jesus and more cash than Croesus.

Biden's order doesn't name Google, Facebook, Amazon or Apple but the White House says it addresses "areas in which dominant tech firms are undermining competition and reducing innovation", including M&A, data collection and the "right to repair" devices.

The order, "Promoting Competition in the American Economy", isn't just aimed at Big Tech. The sweeping set of recommendations also includes provisions targeted at internet service providers -- including an official call to restore net neutrality rules repealed under Trump -- as well as healthcare, agriculture, transportation, and banking and consumer finance.

 Biden's executive order includes 72 initiatives directed at more than a dozen federal agencies to "promptly tackle some of the most pressing competition problems across our economy", according to a White House press release.

Last modified on 12 July 2021
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