Big Tech Is Under Siege. Why Does T-Mobile Get a Pass?
The Justice Department seems serious about protecting consumers from tech overreach, yet its pending approval of the T-Mobile-Sprint deal could be more harmful.
The Justice Department is about to let wireless giant T-Mobile get even bigger by joining forces with Sprint.
Photographer: Akos Stiller/Bloomberg
Makan Delrahim, the U.S. Justice Department’s top antitrust enforcer, sure seems worried about technology consumers for someone who’s about to allow potentially one of the most harmful megamergers in recent memory: T-Mobile US Inc.’s deal for Sprint Corp.
The department’s antitrust division said Tuesday evening that it is looking into how “market-leading online platforms” – likely referring to Apple Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Facebook Inc. and Google – became so powerful and whether they’re engaging in practices that hurt competition and consumers. It’s to be taken as a sign that the government is serious about reining in the tech giants. “Without the discipline of meaningful market-based competition, digital platforms may act in ways that are not responsive to consumer demands,” Delrahim was quoted as saying in the press release.