You can call it Techpalooza.
The chief executives of four of the most powerful tech companies in the world — Apple, Facebook, Google and Amazon — have agreed to appear in late July before a congressional committee as part of an investigation focused on antitrust.
Representative David Cicilline, a Democrat from Rhode Island who has become one of the biggest critics of Big Tech’s enormous power, told me on Wednesday that Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Sundar Pichai of Google and Tim Cook of Apple will testify in what could be an all-day event.
Mr. Cicilline said that the yearlong congressional investigation has included eight round-table discussions, 93 requests for information, 43 experts testifying and five hearings.
“It’s the first major look at antitrust in this industry in 50 years and a lot of people worldwide are watching how lawmakers deal with tech,” he said. “But throughout, we know it is impossible to properly conclude this without hearing from the decision makers themselves.”
He said that all of the chief executives agreed to appear voluntarily and that logistics are still being worked out for what he hopes will be an in-person hearing in Washington. But safety concerns over the coronavirus may mean that the executives end up testifying remotely.
And while tech leaders have appeared before Congress in the past — and there is often less illumination than noise at these kinds of hearings — given the growing public alarm about the power of the tech giants, this gathering of the four horsemen of the Techopolypse could be an epic show. Winter may be coming for Silicon Valley.
Mr. Zuckerberg, Mr. Pichai and Mr. Bezos had indicated in letters previously that they were open to appearing at a hearing, after being invited by Mr. Cicilline’s antitrust subcommittee, while Apple had said that it was open to sending a top official.
It’s clear that the chief executives wanted to appear together, not so much for support — frenemies is about as close as I would describe them, and there is intense dislike between some of the companies — but in the hopes that a group appearance will keep any one of them from being singled out for intense scrutiny. Some are suggesting that a multiday interrogation, with each chief executive facing a small number of experienced questioners, as well as real people they hurt, would be a better way to grill the tech moguls.
Still, if the lawmakers do their job in the planned format and ask pointed questions about the true impact of these companies’ power on competition, there could be some important moments.
This hearing will be part of a wider bipartisan inquiry into how the tech giants dominate the digital industry and hurt rivals and consumers.
Along with fines, politicians and regulators are contemplating new laws on privacy and competition, the repeal of a law that gives platforms broad immunity for content on their sites, and, perhaps most drastically, breaking them up.
And while each company has different problems — such as a damaging role in the spread of disinformation and hate speech (Hello, Facebook!) — the near monopolistic power of their services and what to do about it is the focus of the House investigation.
“We have very serious concerns about the absence of competition,” Mr. Cicilline said. “So we are interested in a wide range of things like their acquisitions, bullying, market power, their favoring of their products and services.”
While the House has been conducting its investigation, the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission have also been looking into competition in tech. So, too, have state attorneys general and also international regulators, most notably the European Commission under its antitrust head, Margrethe Vestager.
Too bad Ms. Vestager won’t be asking these tech titans the questions — she is the bane of the tech industry’s existence, along with Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. How the hearing will be conducted will be critical.
No surprise that I prefer public grillings with a side of shame, but more important will be how the companies portray themselves and how they differentiate themselves. While it’s convenient to apply the catchall term “Big Tech” to them, they are not a monolith and some in this group are further along in understanding that with great power comes great responsibility — and, more important, accountability.
Hopefully, that is what we are going to finally see at the hearing. Mr. Cicilline said the House will issue a report of its findings later in the year, along with recommendations.
He also said that he had not been an expert in antitrust issues before he took over the helm of the antitrust subcommittee, but that “the more I have studied and learned, the more terrifying the power of their large digital platforms is made clear, including the impact on innovation and start-ups.”
At the heart of these inquiries, of course, is how can we continue to innovate as power has become more concentrated than ever. I have done innumerable interviews with start-ups and investors in which they talk about the chilling effect of big companies on their business.
Ask yourself, how easy it is to start an ad-based search engine, a social network, a major online retailer or an app platform when these companies completely cover the field with their money and power and might?
Answer: It’s not easy, which is why I will try to grab a seat in the front row.
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