US President Joe Biden Picks Another Big Tech Critic for Key Justice Post

US President Joe Biden nominated lawyer and Google critic Jonathan Kanter because the Justice Department’s antitrust chief on Tuesday within the newest signal the White House is decided to rein on the earth’s greatest firms, particularly Big Tech.

Progressives who advocate more durable enforcement of antitrust legislation pushed for the nomination of Kanter, who not too long ago began his personal legislation agency, Kanter Law Group LLP, which payments itself as an “antitrust advocacy boutique.”

The White House called Kanter “a leading advocate and expert in the effort to promote strong and meaningful antitrust enforcement and competition policy.”

He has spent years representing rivals of Alphabet’s Google, which the Justice Department sued final 12 months, alleging that it broke antitrust legislation in searching for to hobble rivals.

The Biden administration beforehand selected two antitrust progressives with tech experience, Tim Wu for the National Economic Council and Lina Khan to be a commissioner on the Federal Trade Commission.

Sarah Miller, government director of the American Economic Liberties Project, stated Kanter “has crafted many of the most successful legal arguments driving the major antitrust investigations into Big Tech.”

Kanter declined touch upon the nomination.

If confirmed by the Senate, Kanter, who beforehand labored for Paul, Weiss, Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP and two different huge legislation corporations, will take the reins of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division amid requires more durable enforcement total, with particular criticism geared toward Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple.

The tech giants have been below investigation for about two years, with a US House of Representatives panel issuing a report in October that stated they used “killer acquisitions” to fend off rivals, charged exorbitant charges and compelled small companies into “oppressive” contracts within the identify of revenue.

The corporations have vigorously denied any wrongdoing.

The Justice Department Antitrust Division below Kanter will play a key position in implementing the Biden government order geared toward selling competitors throughout the US economic system. In addition to suing Google, the Justice Department can be investigating Apple.

The Federal Trade Commission shares the job of antitrust enforcement with the Justice Department.

© Thomson Reuters 2021