The Department of Justice (DOJ) is preparing to open a broad probe into whether big tech companies like Amazon, Facebook, and others are illegally harming their competitors, the department said in a press release on Tuesday.
The investigation is the latest antitrust probe looking into “Big Tech” and is separate from the potential investigations into Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Alphabet that are reportedly being brought up against them by the DOJ and Federal Trade Commission.
“Without the discipline of meaningful market-based competition, digital platforms may act in ways that are not responsive to consumer demands,” Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim said in Tuesday’s press release. “The Department’s antitrust review will explore these important issues.”
The DOJ said the investigation will look into how online market leaders have risen to power and whether their efforts have hurt competition, discouraged competition, or harmed consumers. The Department also said the probe will address “widespread concerns” that individuals and industries alike have raised regarding competition in the search, social media, and online retail markets.
