The big four tech CEOs will testify today before Congress.
Jeff Bezos, Tim Cook, Sundar Pichai and Mark Zuckerberg, CEOs from four tech giants — Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google — will testify before the House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee on Monday, marking the first time all four executives testified together in front of Congress.
The House Judiciary Committee announced its antitrust investigation into the four tech companies in June 2019. Testimony from the CEOs would mark one of the final steps before completing the probe, which is expected to produce new legislative proposals to reform and regulate the digital market.
What to expect? The CEOs will finally get a chance to rebut criticisms about digital advertising, commissions, marketplace terms, third-party programs, and argue that they’re a net good for the nation, as well as stating that an antitrust enforcement is a wrong way to approach social media. Axios adds that all four companies have loudly or quietly warned that the U.S. shouldn’t over-regulate its big tech firms because the nation needs them to be big and strong to counter threats from China.
The hearing will take place on Monday, July 27, at 12:00 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C. In announcing the hearing, the accompanying press release noted that “under current House Rules, witnesses and Members are allowed to appear virtually” given the rise in COVID-19 cases in the United States.
