Federal regulators may be inching closer to probing the market dominance of some of the largest technology platforms.
Meanwhile, the Justice Department is laying the foundation for a potential antitrust investigation of Google, three people familiar with the matter told CNN over the weekend. Multiple sources said the DOJ may focus on Google’s search business.
The FTC is also reportedly gaining greater oversight of Amazon and the Department of Justice is said to have the right to probe Apple. The FTC declined to comment. Google and Amazon declined to comment. Representatives for Apple and Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
While these early moves may send a signal that tech giants are being closely scrutinized, there’s no guarantee the agencies will ultimately open antitrust investigations into any or all of these companies.
The news rattled Wall Street. The four tech companies lost tens of billions of dollars in market value Monday as investors digested the heightened risk of antitrust probes.
