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Tech Giants Face Justice Department Antitrust Probe

The review is bound to pull in Amazon, Facebook, and Google, which have all faced accusations of anti-competitive behavior.

 & Michael Kan Principal Reporter

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The Justice Department is opening an antitrust investigation into the biggest online platforms over whether they've been stifling competition.

No companies were named, but the investigation will consider public concerns regarding "search, social media, and some retail services online," the Justice Department said on Tuesday. The review will focus on how the biggest online platforms have achieved and maintained their market power, and whether the practices have harmed consumers.

"Without the discipline of meaningful market-based competition, digital platforms may act in ways that are not responsive to consumer demands," said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the department's antitrust division, which is overseeing the investigation.

The review is bound to pull in Amazon, Facebook, and Google, which have all faced accusations of anti-competitive behavior and holding a monopoly in the internet industry. Last November, President Trump himself said his administration was considering an antitrust investigation into the three companies.

The Justice Department's announcement also indicates the probe will be quite broad, and take into account input from consumers and businesses. "The Department's Antitrust Division is conferring with and seeking information from the public, including industry participants who have direct insight into competition in online platforms, as well as others," it said.

"If violations of law are identified, the Department will proceed appropriately to seek redress," the Justice Department added.

Apple will also probably be ensnared in the probe. The company has recently faced growing scrutiny over its control of the iOS App Store, which is the only official destination to download apps for your iPhone.

About Our Expert

Michael Kan

Michael Kan

Principal Reporter

My Experience

I've been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I'm currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country's technology sector.

Since 2020, I've covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I've combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink's cellular service.

I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.

I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I'm now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I'm always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.

The Best Tech I've Had:

  • My first video game console: a Nintendo Famicom
  • I loved my Sega Saturn despite PlayStation's popularity.
  • The iPod Video I received as a gift in college
  • Xbox 360 FTW
  • The Galaxy Nexus was the first smartphone I was proud to own.
  • The PC desktop I built in 2013, which still works to this day.

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