U.S. Senator Josh Hawley at a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight hearing in Washington D.C. on March 24, 2021. Source: Stefani Reynolds/CNP/Sipa USA via Reuters.
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  • U.S. Republican Senator Josh Hawley has introduced a bill that would ban all mergers and acquisitions by any company with a market capitalisation greater than US$100 billion (roughly A$131.29 billion)
  • His bill would effectively ban the likes of Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook and Alphabet’s Google from any future deals
  • It tackles many of the same issues pursued by Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar in an antitrust bill put forward in February
  • Of Klobuchar, Hawley said “I’m willing to work with her and anybody of any party and any background”

U.S. Republican Senator Josh Hawley — a vocal critic of Big Tech — has introduced a bill that would ban all mergers and acquisitions by any company with a market capitalisation greater than US$100 billion (roughly A$131.29 billion).

Having previously accused big social media platforms of suppressing conservative voices, Hawley has also laid into other sectors, like pharmaceuticals, which he said were too concentrated and held too much power.

His bill would effectively ban the likes of Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook and Alphabet’s Google from any future deals and would attempt to stop their platforms from favouring their own products over that of their rivals.

It tackles many of the same issues pursued by Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar in an antitrust bill put forward in February.

When asked about Klobuchar’s efforts, Hawley said “I’m willing to work with her and anybody of any party and any background. I like a lot of what Senator Klobuchar has proposed.” However, he described his bill as “significantly tougher.”

In the House of Representatives, on the other hand, Representative David Cicilline said he has plans to introduce a series of antitrust bills.

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