President Trump’s antitrust enforcers are standing firm in their legal battles against Big Tech, despite indicating a more lenient approach towards artificial intelligence. The administration is moving forward with ongoing antitrust lawsuits against Google and preparing for new trials against Meta, Amazon, and Apple. The Federal Trade Commission is also expanding its investigation into Microsoft’s AI partnership with OpenAI and challenging its acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
Trump’s FTC chair, Andrew Ferguson, emphasized the administration’s commitment to robust antitrust enforcement during a meeting with American CEOs in Washington, D.C., contrasting it with past administrations. However, there are indications that Trump may adopt a more relaxed stance on AI as the U.S. vies with China for technological dominance.
The Justice Department’s recent filing supporting Google’s AI investments, despite potential breakup scenarios, reflects a shift in policy under the new administration. This decision has been seen as a departure from the Biden era’s approach to AI regulation.
Observers in the tech industry are uncertain about the level of aggressiveness Trump’s antitrust enforcers will demonstrate, especially following the Biden administration’s confrontations with major tech companies. The FTC under Ferguson has signaled its intent to challenge mergers that could harm consumers while also escalating investigations into companies like Amazon and Microsoft.
By continuing these antitrust actions against Big Tech, Trump has diverged from traditional Republican enforcement strategies, signaling a shift towards a more populist approach. The future direction of antitrust enforcement under the new administration remains uncertain, with experts highlighting the evolving landscape of competition policy.
The purpose of both Facebook and Google is to combat the censorship of conservative content, according to Salib. He noted that the treatment of technology companies under Biden’s administration had a different tone compared to the past. Despite this, there are shared competition concerns between the two administrations, which may be highlighted during the upcoming trial between the FTC and Meta scheduled for April 14 in the federal district court for the District of Columbia. The government seeks to undo Facebook’s acquisitions of Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014, alleging that these acquisitions were used to stifle competition in the social networking market. Additionally, the Justice Department will be involved in a trial to determine the fate of Google’s extensive empire. Federal Judge Amit Mehta previously ruled that Google had unlawfully monopolized online markets for general search, leading the DOJ to call for the breakup of Alphabet’s Google. However, the DOJ has taken a more restrained approach regarding Google’s AI investments, a move that also has support from Congress. The focus is now on fostering AI opportunities rather than imposing strict regulations, with an emphasis on maintaining America’s global AI dominance. President Trump’s executive order aims to remove barriers to American leadership in AI and promote technological advancement without unnecessary restrictions.
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