White House reportedly prepares order directing antitrust probe of tech companies amid accusations o

[Judi Lynn]

Source: CNBC



The White House is reportedly working on a memorandum for President Donald Trump to sign that would direct government agencies to "thoroughly investigate" whether social media companies such as Google or Facebook have violated U.S. antitrust laws, Bloomberg reported Saturday.

Social media company leaders, including Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter chief Jack Dorsey have denied that their platforms are politically biased.

Kevin Breuninger | @KevinWilliamB
Published 9 Hours Ago Updated 14 Mins Ago

The White House is reportedly working on a memorandum for President Donald Trump to sign that would direct government agencies to "thoroughly investigate" big tech companies like Google and Facebook, Bloomberg News reported on Saturday, who have fended off accusations of political bias against conservatives.

A draft of that executive order, seen by Bloomberg, is in its preliminary stages and hasn't yet been run past other government agencies, a White House official told the publication. It also does not mention any specific companies.

Its current language would direct federal agencies to give recommendations ways to "protect competition among online platforms and address online platform bias" within a month after being signed, according to the report.

However, the White House distanced itself from Bloomberg's report in a statement to CNBC. Aides told The Washington Post on Saturday they didn't know where the memo came from. They also cast doubt on whether it had been vetted through normal policy channels.

Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/22/white-house-prepares-order-directing-antitrust-probe-of-tech-companies-report.html

[rocktivity]

1. Fake news planted by President Duh Donald

in hopes of embarrassing the media into capitulation?

P.S. He forgot Amazon.


rocknation

[Wellstone ruled]

2. Donnie Donnie,you just do not get it,

you want these companies to give Carte Blanch again,well it ain't going to happen.

[cstanleytech]

3. Sounds like an abuse of power meant to intimidate the companies.

[sinkingfeeling]

4. What exactly does 'bias' have to do with antitrust laws?

[PSPS]

9. Nothing. And nobody is stopping anyone from starting their own platform.

They can call it Лицевая книга

[bucolic_frolic]

5. If this gets going Fox News prepares to duck boomerang

Way to go Donnie!

[Crash2Parties]

6. Bit dishonest considering FB embedded employees in the Trump campaign...

[DeminPennswoods]

7. Can't say this particulary bothers me

These companies have far too much power and need to be reined in.

[StTimofEdenRoc]

8. This may be an "Even a broken clock" moment.

[Spartacus101]

11. Yup...he's doing his usual "El Deflecto-Distracto" thing...

...and picking easy targets.

Of COURSE AlphabetSoup and DisgraceBook need a good antitrust knocking around...but it's all a sideshow, folks..."Hey, look over there! Was that a chicken? Don't look at my upcoming removal..."

Donald, you couldn't even sell a used car off a gypsy lot...

[DeminPennswoods]

13. Thought the same thing

Over at TPM, Josh Marshall has done a few posts about the near monopoly power facebook and google have on digital advertising. It's a big, if not the main, reason TPM is going the subscription and paywall route.

[paleotn]

15. Yea, try that and see where it gets them in federal court.

There's more than a few search engines around and more than a few social media sites. Anti-trust? That's a joke, right? The rest smacks of violating the 1st Amendment. Seriously, the federal government trying to force private enterprise to speak a certain way. The sites belong to those corporations and they have just as much right to spin or not spin them as Faux News.

[Yavin4]

10. What about conservative consolidation of AM radio stations and TV broadcast networks like Sinclair?

They're politically biased.

[duforsure]

12. He wants to control them to use for himself and to use against others

And shake them down , just like they do to businesses in russia. Businesses are learning he can't be trusted , and is way too corrupt to back him any more.

[paleotn]

14. .................

Yea, go ahead and try that. What fucking morons!!!

[Mc Mike]

16. Using the powers of the presidency to go after your 'political enemies'

was an article of impeachment for Nixon.
But Nixon did it really sneaky, didn't bellow about it at the top of his lungs on media.

[getagrip_already]

17. Expectr Kavanaugh to "Knock it out of the Park".....

I fully expect him to acknowledge the party, that he and Ford were "drinking and fooling around" and looking back at it he could see how she might have remembered it differently, but that nothing happened she was upset about. He didn't come out and say it sooner because he was embarrassed.

This is likely what they have been drilling into him for weeks. He will seem contrite, embarrassed, and dismayed, while still appearing sympathetic to her.

In short. He will lie through his capped teeth and it will instantly be hailed as a vindication. Sure, she remembers it differently they will say, but it was a long time ago and they were both drinking.

Just don't be shocked when it plays out like this That is what they are counting on. Nobody will be prepared for that.

He won't answer questions from dems directly. But the questions from the gop will be well rehearsed.

That is what these leaks are doing. They are setting expectations one way and then they will deliver 180 degrees out.

Count on it.