{"id":127125,"date":"2024-11-18T04:02:50","date_gmt":"2024-11-17T21:02:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=127125"},"modified":"2024-11-18T04:02:50","modified_gmt":"2024-11-17T21:02:50","slug":"how-will-bidens-antitrust-showdown-evolve-under-trump","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=127125","title":{"rendered":"How will Biden&#8217;s antitrust showdown evolve under Trump?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>SAN FRANCISCO (AP) \u2014 The U.S. antitrust watchdogs that pounced on Big Tech and deterred corporate deal making throughout President Joe Biden\u2019s administration may be kept on a shorter leash by Donald Trump after he returns to the White House next year.<\/p>\n<p>Although regulators began cracking down on tech powerhouses <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/google-justice-department-antitrust-0510e8f9047956254455ec5d4db06044\">such as Google<\/a><\/span> and <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/us-govt-states-sue-facebook-antitrust-312de23e330a318ff8d339ef38dfbc08\">Facebook<\/a><\/span> during Trump\u2019s first term as president, most experts expect his second administration to ease up on antitrust enforcement and be more receptive to mergers and deal-making after years of hypervigilance under Biden\u2019s watch. <\/p>\n<p>One of the biggest reasons underlying the anticipated pivot stems from the widespread belief that the chief architects of the Biden administration\u2019s get-tougher stance \u2014 Lina Khan of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department\u2019s Jonathan Kanter \u2014 won\u2019t be part of the Trump regime.<\/p>\n<p>Both the Justice Department and FTC didn\u2019t respond to request for comment.<\/p>\n<p>Trump\u2019s <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/video\/south-dakota-donald-trump-donald-trump-es-government-appointments-and-nominations-elon-musk-e638c7b02ef44def830871cb3a81f7f8\">announcement of billionaire<\/a><\/span> Elon Musk, who once anointed himself as \u201cTechnoking,\u201d to oversee an advisory effort focused on slashing government spending could end up reducing the staffs and regulators trying to rein in deep-pocketed companies.<\/p>\n<p>And Trump\u2019s nomination of combative supporter Matt Gaetz to be <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/nominee to be U.S. Attorney General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">U.S. Attorney General<\/a><\/span> has thrown even more uncertainty into the game. Gaetz has previously lashed out at social media platforms\u2019 policies he claims suppress conservative views, and has, at times, joined in on calls <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/mattgaetz\/status\/1413125816989495296\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">to break up Big Tech<\/a><\/span>. He also has a track record of supporting causes trumpeted by Trump. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are going to be some profound changes\u201d in antitrust policies, predicts John Kwoka, an economics professor at Northeastern University that has periodically worked on antitrust issues with the FTC and Justice Department. \u201cElon Musk could end up having a larger-than-life influence on policy, and that isn\u2019t something we have seen before, where a single person whispers in the ear of the President.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Other experts interviewed by The Associated Press mostly agree with Kwoka\u2019s sentiments. But they also believe it\u2019s highly unlikely the anticipated shift will result in regulators abandoning existing antitrust cases against Big Tech firms, partly because those legal showdowns coalesce with populist worries about the industry\u2019s increasing power and influence on people\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are in uncharted territory, but the idea of going up against Big Tech still has legs to it,\u201d said Rebecca Allensworth, a Vanderbilt University law professor who tracks antitrust issues.<\/p>\n<p>But the changing of the guard may open a door for Google, Apple, Amazon and Facebook to avert prolonged court battles and negotiate settlements under a president that relishes in deal making.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaybe Big Tech should buy a copy of \u2018The Art of The Deal\u2019 to figure out how to best negotiate with this administration,\u201d suggested Paul Swanson, an antitrust attorney for the law firm Holland &amp; Hart. \u201cI won\u2019t be surprised if they find ways to reach some accommodations and we end up seeing more negotiated resolutions and consent decrees.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While the fate of existing antitrust cases remains in a realm of pure speculation, almost everyone is betting the Trump administration will be more receptive to mergers that typically come with a promise of lower costs and other benefits for consumers.<\/p>\n<p>The stage is set for \u201ca golden era for deal flow among public and private tech players over the next 12 to 18 months,\u201d Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives wrote in a research note after Trump\u2019s reelection.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a belief widely shared by most investors, which helped fuel a run up in the overall stock market since Election Day and boosted shares in companies trying to close deals announced during the Biden administration. One such example involves Capital One Financial and Discover, who aim to consummate their merger in a stock swap next year. Capital One\u2019s market value has increased by 11% while Discover\u2019s market value has climbed 16%.<\/p>\n<p>The change in administration could also sway a proposed merger between the country\u2019s two biggest supermarket chains, Kroger and Albertsons, which forged a $24.6 billion deal to combine in 2022. But the FTC <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/kroger-albertsons-antitrust-grocery-merger-competition-71b47dc86ec7449f29b2b488c1d3f9de\">filed a lawsuit in federal court<\/a><\/span> earlier this year to block the merger, claiming the deal would eliminate competition, leading to higher prices and lower wages for workers. But the two companies say a merger would help them lower prices and compete against bigger rivals like Walmart.<\/p>\n<p>Given grocery prices remain a hot-button issue among consumers still feeling shell shocked from post-pandemic inflationary spikes, Allensworth believes the Trump administration is less likely to \u201cabandon or soft pedal\u201d the FTC\u2019s challenge to the Kroger-Albertsons merger.<\/p>\n<p>In another case that has been cheered by hordes of consumers, the Justice Department is seeking to break up Ticketmaster and its corporate parent Live Nation <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/justice-department-live-nation-ticketmaster-antitrust-lawsuit-df9b552d127e1494db13e3cd625787a8\">in a lawsuit<\/a><\/span> claiming their practices are driving up the cost of concerts and other entertainment.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the grassroots support for that case, Live Nation executives are signaling they think they can preserve the current system under a Trump presidency.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are hopeful that we\u2019ll see a return to the more traditional antitrust approach, where the agencies have generally tried to find ways to solve problems they see with targeted remedies that minimize government intervention in the marketplace,\u201d Live Nation President Joe Berchtold said during a conference call with investors shortly after the election.<\/p>\n<p>Deals that got torpedoed by the Biden administration could find new life with Trump in command. American and JetBlue are already considering resurrecting a partnership after an earlier proposal got torpedoed by a legal challenge by Biden\u2019s antitrust team \u2014 a decision that was recently upheld by a Boston appeals court.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are still taking a look at it,\u201d American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said shortly after the election. \u201cWe will take everything that the court has fed back, and we\u2019ll put that into consideration.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Similar conversations are likely taking place among other executives re-examining deals that seemed off-limits during the Biden administration, said Colin Kass, an antitrust attorney at the law firm Proskauer Rose,<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s almost certain there were deals that people put the brakes on because of antitrust concerns and those will be revisited to decide whether they still make economic sense,\u201d Kass said. \u201cIf so, they will present it to the DOJ. And if there needs to be a fix, it\u2019s more likely to get fixed than blocked outright. So it\u2019s worth taking a chance at getting these deals done.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As for the efforts to dismantle Big Tech monopolies, the first case brought by the Trump administration against Google is now in the hands of <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/google-antitrust-search-engine-verdict-apple-319a61f20fb11510097845a30abaefd8\">a federal judge who ruled in August<\/a><\/span> that the company\u2019s dominant search engine is an illegal monopoly. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington, D.C. is now weighing what kind of punishment to impose on Google. A decision is expected by August next year. <\/p>\n<p>In a preliminary proposal <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/google-search-antitrust-case-59114d8bf1dc4c8453c08acaa4051f14\">filed last month<\/a><\/span>, the Justice Department indicated it might try to persuade Mehta to order that key parts of Google be broken up to restore competition. <\/p>\n<p>The Justice Department\u2019s final draft of recommended penalties is due this Wednesday. The filing isn\u2019t likely to be influenced by the specter of the Trump administration taking over next January as Kanter and the rest of the team he assembled at Justice get one final chance to state their case against Google, said David Olson, an associate law professor for Boston College.<\/p>\n<p>A reshuffled team of antitrust regulators appointed by Trump could still backtrack from whatever position is staked out in the Nov. 20 filing and take a different stance when Mehta presides over the hearings about the proposed punishments next spring.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is disheartening to see,\u201d Kwoka said. \u201cA tougher policy was in order because the tech companies in particular had been allowed to behave without any significant restraint for 20 years. And then we all recognized it was going to take more than four years to establish a tougher policy and show its merits. Now, that may not happen.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>___<\/h2>\n<p>AP Business Writer Dee-Ann Durbin and AP Business Writer Dave Koenig contributed to this story.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script>\n  window.fbAsyncInit = function() {\n      FB.init({\n              appId : '870613919693099',\n          xfbml : true,\n          version : 'v2.9'\n      });\n  };\n  (function(d, s, id){\n     var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];\n     if (d.getElementById(id)) {return;}\n     js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;\n     js.src = \"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\";\n     fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);\n   }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/antitrust-big-tech-deals-monopoly-biden-trump-d508d61e9deeeefcf89765f17a69f493\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SAN FRANCISCO (AP) \u2014 The U.S. antitrust watchdogs that pounced on Big Tech and deterred corporate deal making throughout President Joe Biden\u2019s administration may be kept on a shorter leash &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=127125\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-127125","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127125","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=127125"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127125\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=127125"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=127125"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=127125"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}