US consumer regulator forms task force to monitor big tech

The Federal Trade Commission, under pressure to keep closer tabs on big tech companies such as Alphabet’s Google and Facebook, said on Tuesday it would create a task force to monitor the sector and investigate anticompetitive conduct.

The FTC’s Bureau of Competition will put some 17 staff attorneys on the task force, which will consult on tech-related merger reviews, investigations and reviews of consummated tech deals. “It makes sense for us to closely examine technology markets to ensure consumers benefit from free and fair competition,” FTC Chairman Joe Simons said in a statement.

The agency’s Bruce Hoffman, head of the Bureau of Competition, did not rule out taking action to undo a consummated deal if anticompetitive behaviour was found, but declined to discuss specific transactions. Unwinding a deal after it has closed is “very rare,” said Henry Su of the law firm Constantine Cannon LLP.