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Lina Khan, an antitrust researcher focused on the huge market power of big tech, was sworn in as chairman of the United States Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday, a victory for progressives seeking to crack down on tech companies that hold a important part of a growing sector of the economy Hours earlier, the US Senate had confirmed Khan, with bipartisan support.
She recently taught at Columbia Law School. Previously, as a member of the House Judiciary Committees’ antitrust committee, she helped draft a massive report alleging abuses of market domination by Amazon.com Inc, Apple Inc, Facebook Inc and Google’s parent company Alphabet. Inc.
We applaud President Biden and the Senate for recognizing the urgent need to tackle the rampant corporate power, advocacy group Public Citizen said in a statement. US Senator Elizabeth Warren tweeted that the administration’s selection of Khan was great news.
With President Khan at the helm, we have a huge opportunity to make big structural changes by reviving antitrust enforcement and fighting the monopolies that threaten our economy, society and democracy, Warren said in a statement. separate.
The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), whose board of directors includes representatives of technology companies, issued a statement warning that a populist approach to antitrust would cause lasting self-inflicted damage that would benefit companies. less deserving foreign rivals.
The federal government and groups of states are pursuing various lawsuits and investigations into large tech companies. The FTC sued Facebook and is investigating Amazon. The Justice Department sued Google.
Prior to Khans’ appointment, Google and Amazon declined to comment, and Apple and Facebook did not respond to a request for comment. Biden had previously selected another progressive and big tech critic Tim Wu to join the National Economic Council.
In 2017, Khan wrote a highly regarded article, Amazons Antitrust Paradox, for the Yale Law Journal. He argued that the traditional antitrust focus on price was insufficient to identify the antitrust damage caused by Amazon.
In addition to antitrust, the FTC is investigating allegations of misleading advertising. On that front, Khan will join an agency adjusting to a unanimous April Supreme Court decision that said the agency could not use a particular part of its statutes, 13 (b), demanding that consumers be compensated by deceptive companies, but can only ask for an injunction. Congress is considering a legislative solution.
Khan previously worked at the FTC as legal advisor to Commissioner Rohit Chopra, Bidens chose to be director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
First published: June 16, 2021, 09:35 AM IST
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