Big Tech Gets Small Business Committee Vetting

The House Small Business Committee took its turn at running Big Tech through another Hill gauntlet at a hearing titled "A Fair Playing Field? Investigating Big Tech’s Impact on Small Business." Committee Chairwoman Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) started the hearing by praising Amazon and Google for agreeing to send witnesses, and pointing to the two empty chairs for no-shows Facebook and Apple. To the latter, she said, their absence not only impeded Congress' mission but "speaks volumes about the companies' commitment to transparency and their very own customers," adding ominously: "You reap what you sow." As to the issue of Big Tech's impact on small business, she said that while tech platforms can be beneficial, Big Tech's grip on the daily lives and the competitive landscape is "astounding and also concerning." She pointed out that Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, Google and Amazon are worth a collective 4.3 trillion dollars.