Yazılar

Trump’s DOJ Pick Says Resources Key in Big Tech Antitrust Cases

/in /tarafından

Gail Slater, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust division, told a Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday that resource availability would be a critical factor in pursuing high-profile cases against Big Tech.

Slater, an experienced antitrust lawyer and economic adviser to Vice President JD Vance, would oversee cases targeting monopolistic practices if confirmed as the DOJ’s assistant attorney general for antitrust.

Senator Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah and head of the antitrust subcommittee, questioned Slater about her stance on ongoing litigation against Apple, Google, and other tech giants—cases initiated during Trump’s first term and carried over into the Biden administration.

Slater acknowledged the complexities and high costs of such lawsuits. “Resources are of course a very important consideration in antitrust litigation, in taking cases further. It is very complex civil litigation and costly, so that will be a consideration,” she said. She also pledged to advocate for sufficient resources to continue enforcement.

The DOJ is actively suing Google for its dominance in online advertising markets and recently won a case confirming Google’s illegal monopoly in online search. Additionally, the DOJ and state attorneys general have accused companies like Apple, LiveNation, and Visa of anticompetitive practices.

Slater expressed her commitment to collaborating with state attorneys general from both parties on these cases.

Senator Cory Booker, the ranking Democrat on the Senate’s antitrust committee, voiced concerns about how efforts by Tesla CEO and Trump adviser Elon Musk to downsize the federal workforce could hinder the DOJ’s antitrust enforcement. “Any efforts by Musk and Trump to fire or push out federal employees charged with enforcing our antitrust laws will hurt Americans at a time when families are struggling,” Booker said.

Slater’s background includes positions at Fox Corp and Roku, as well as representing major tech firms at the now-defunct Internet Association. She began her career at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and spent a decade at the Federal Trade Commission.

China Considers Investigating Apple’s App Store Policies

/in /tarafından

China’s antitrust regulator is reportedly preparing to investigate Apple’s business practices, specifically focusing on its App Store policies and fees. According to Bloomberg News, the investigation would examine Apple’s commission on in-app purchases, which can reach up to 30%, as well as restrictions on external payment services and alternative app stores. This move comes shortly after China imposed tariffs on U.S. goods, including products from companies like Google, as tensions between the two countries escalate.

Shares of Apple dropped 2.6% in U.S. premarket trading following the news. Discussions between Chinese regulators and Apple executives, as well as app developers, have reportedly been ongoing since last year.

This potential probe mirrors similar actions against other U.S. companies, including Google, which is also under scrutiny by China’s State Administration for Market Regulation. Apple has not yet commented on the situation.

 

US DOJ Sues to Block Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s $14 Billion Juniper Deal

/in /tarafından

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit to block Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s (HPE) $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks, arguing that the deal would reduce competition in the networking equipment market. According to the complaint, the merger would result in just two companies—HPE and Cisco Systems—controlling more than 70% of the U.S. market for networking gear.

Shares of both HPE and Juniper Networks fell by about 2% following the announcement. This antitrust lawsuit is the first to be filed under the current administration.

In response, the companies argue that the deal will not harm competition, claiming that it would bring together two complementary networking solutions that can better compete with established global players. They also pointed to Juniper’s innovations, which have driven HPE to lower its prices and invest more in innovation.

The DOJ’s complaint specifically noted that Juniper’s competitive pressures have forced HPE to offer discounts and develop new features to maintain market relevance. The companies are prepared to defend the merger in court, with pretrial and trial proceedings expected to take place over the next eight months, before the deal’s walk-away date in October.

While the DOJ moves forward with its challenge, both the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority and the European Union have already approved the acquisition.