Donald Trump’s White House victory could have major implications for antitrust regulation and US policy toward the tech sector — including a pair of Justice Department cases pending against Google.
Trump – longtime critic of Google Search giant accused of political bias and election interference – Still has recently expressed reluctance to break up the company. This is despite the fact that the DOJ case targeting online search monopolies began in 2020, during Trump’s first term.
“This is a very dangerous thing because we want great companies,” Trump said During an event in Chicago last month. “We don’t want China to have these companies. Right now, China is afraid of Google.
On Wednesday, Google CEO Sundar Pichai was among the many tech CEOs Congratulated Trump on his victory in the White House.
“Congratulations to President @realDonaldTrump on his decisive victory,” Pichai wrote. “We are in a golden age of American innovation and are committed to working with his administration to help deliver benefits for all.”
Google is facing a pair of Justice Department antitrust cases that could impact its business — one targeting its online search empire and another focused on its digital advertising business. The DOJ also has an antitrust lawsuit pending against Apple, while the Federal Trade Commission is suing Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta and Amazon.
US District Judge Amit Mehta gave this decision in August Google has an illegal monopoly on online searchHowever, a separate trial to determine the appropriate remedy will last until Trump’s first term in office — Mehta is not expected to make a decision until next summer.
The timeline will give Trump — and his DOJ appointees — the means to adjust their strategy.
“He’s certainly in a position to control the DOJ’s disposition of the treatment phase,” William Kovacic, a Republican and former Federal Trade Commission chairman under President George W. Bush, told Reuters.
Last month, the DOJ outlined plans to force a sale of parts of Google’s business, such as its Chrome web browser, among measures the court could adopt.
During a recent interview with Joe Rogan, Trump bragged that Pichai had called to congratulate him about the popularity of a YouTube video in which Republicans’ recent campaigns stopped serving fries at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania. Was.
Trump described both Google and Apple as “great companies” during an event Conversation with radio host Hugh HewittHe said Apple CEO Tim Cook recently called him to complain about the billion-dollar fine imposed on his company in Europe.
The president-elect also criticized the EU for increasing regulatory enforcement against US tech companies.
“If you look at Google lately, I think you’ll see that they’ve leaned much more heavily toward Trump,” he said. “They’re starting to like Trump, because they’re starting to understand it.”
Surprising many, Trump has also expressed skepticism about the ongoing effort in Congress to divest or ban China-owned TikTok. The legal battle over the future of the app is currently in federal court.
Broadly speaking, Trump’s presidency is expected to weaken the regulatory environment for tech companies.
This includes various companies led by billionaire Elon Musk, who became a major ally and megadonor to Trump campaigns. During the Biden administration, Musk regularly complained about the red tape facing SpaceX and Tesla.
Trump has indicated that he will appoint Musk as the leader of a new “Commission on Government Efficiency” to reduce wasteful spending and regulations at the federal level.
Trump is also almost certain to replace FTC Chairwoman Lina Khan and SEC Chairman Gary Gensler — each of whom had upset top business executives by taking aggressive actions on everything from mergers and acquisitions to cryptocurrencies and artificial intelligence.
with post wires
