No Mercy No Malice

Big Tech Won the Antitrust Hearings Before They Even Started

Agreeing to let Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google testify concurrently inhibits the committee’s ability to go deep on any one issue

The CEOs of Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Google are scheduled to testify in front of the U.S. House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee. Some thoughts…

Big Tech has won before the hearing starts. Agreeing to let all four testify concurrently inhibits the committee’s ability to go deep on any one issue and will leave the American public with a sentiment instead of a viewpoint on Big Tech, much less any conclusions (such as, that the Obama Department of Justice was asleep at the switch and that Instagram and WhatsApp should be divested). The Covid-19-inspired remote format dramatically lessens the likelihood of an unscripted moment that reveals something the American public didn’t previously know. Fabric softener for tough questioning is the deep pockets that keep members in power.

When the show starts, Mark Zuckerberg will be the target of the most ire as he’s an oligarch minus the charm. Jeff Bezos, on the other hand, will receive the least ire as his command of soft power is second only to China. Being on these…