F.T.C. Sets Up Task Force to Monitor Competition in Tech Industry

[engine]

The Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Competition is setting up a Task Force with the specific remit of monitoring the technology markets and, it says, taking enforcement actions when warranted.

“Technology markets, which are rapidly evolving and touch so many other sectors of the economy, raise distinct challenges for antitrust enforcement,” said Bureau Director Bruce Hoffman. “By centralizing our expertise and attention, the new task force will be able to focus on these markets exclusively – ensuring they are operating pursuant to the antitrust laws, and taking action where they are not.”

Some might suggest it's been a little slow, or even too late with this announcement.

[ftc.gov...]

[tangor]

The monopoly-abuse-busters will contain more than a dozen lawyers from the FTC's Bureau of Competition, along with a technology fellow who will "provide important technical assistance and expertise to support the task force's investigations," the federal regulator announced this week. The team will probe around "online advertising, social networking, mobile operating systems and apps, and platform businesses," among other high-tech sectors.

[theregister.co.uk...] Sadly, more bureaucracy only slows things down. Even if this group hits the ground running they are about 10 years too late and wheezers they are will take 10 years to read the rule book they will write first (ignoring all the OTHER LAWS which are perfectly fine and already supported by past precedent and all that happy stuff).
YMMV

[graeme_p]

They may find the laws inadequate. Technology tends to create a lot of network effects and a lot of customer lock-in.