Top DOJ Antitrust Official Makan Delrahim signals intensifying state and federal antitrust probe of big tech

The Department of Justice is forging ahead with its review of online platforms for potential antitrust violations, coordinating with state attorneys general while signaling it could send demands for documents to Silicon Valley companies and their critics, said DOJ antitrust chief Makan Delrahim. Assistant Attorney General Delrahim also waded into a simmering Washington debate over what legal protections should be afforded to Facebook, Google and Twitter for the user-generated content that appears on their platforms, raising the possibility that Congress could re-examine the law. When asked about the next phase of the DOJ's broad antitrust review, Delrahim said that in a “normal investigation,” would “seek documents and information from parties who might be affected,” adding: “We might be issuing compulsory process on some third parties who may or may not need it for whatever reason to provide more information to us.”