scorecardBig tech's giant power could be challenged in blockbuster antitrust probes - here's what that means for Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Google
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Big tech's giant power could be challenged in blockbuster antitrust probes - here's what that means for Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Google

Big tech's giant power could be challenged in blockbuster antitrust probes - here's what that means for Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Google
Tech2 min read

Zuckerberg Pichai Cook Bezos

Getty/Carsten Koall/Michael Kovac/Business Insider composite

From left to right, Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai, Tim Cook, and Jeff Bezos.

  • Reports in recent days suggest that the wheels are turning on blockbuster antitrust investigations into Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Google.
  • The Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice have apparently carved up which of the big tech companies they would examine, should they begin antitrust proceedings.
  • If investigations are launched, it could transform the big tech landscape, potentially resulting in seismic breakups or giant fines.
  • Read on to find out what antitrust proceedings could look like for the FAANG companies, and which Trump administration body will take the lead on the investigations.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The wheels are turning on potentially blockbuster US antitrust investigations into big tech.

Reports in recent days suggest that Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Google could all face scrutiny after the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice carved up which of the big tech companies they would examine.

It follows US President Donald Trump saying last year that the firms could be "very antitrust," while appetite among Republicans and Democrats has increased for greater oversight of the tech monoliths.

Read more: Big tech's time of reckoning: It looks like Trump is making good on his threat to take on Google and Amazon

Politicians on both sides have been ramping up their rhetoric. Elizabeth Warren has made breaking up big tech the rallying cry of her presidential candidacy campaign, and Republican lawmakers have laid into the Silicon Valley elite for perceived anti-conservative bias.

Add this to the fact that some of the companies have already received antitrust fines in the EU - not to mention ongoing complaints and investigations - and it looks like big tech could be headed for turbulence.

There is little detail about the substance of the investigations, but read on to find out what antitrust proceedings could look like for Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Google companies, and which Trump administration body will take the lead on the probes.

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