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US: White House considers ordering Google & Facebook probes

By  |  September 23, 2018

Without naming specific companies, a draft copy of an executive order, obtained by Bloomberg, instructs US antitrust authorities to “thoroughly investigate whether any online platform has acted in violation of the antitrust laws.”

Lindsey Walters, deputy White House press secretary, said in an emailed statement that the document isn’t the result of an official White House policy making process.

The draft order directs that any actions federal agencies take should be “consistent with other laws.”

“Because of their critical role in American society, it is essential that American citizens are protected from anticompetitive acts by dominant online platforms,” the order reads. It adds that consumer harm—a key measure in antitrust investigations—could come “through the exercise of bias.”

Full Content: Bloomberg

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