WASHINGTON: The White House is working on an antitrust executive order that aims to push government agencies to consider how their decisions will impact competition in an industry, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
It was not immediately clear how such an order would aid those efforts on Capitol Hill and rein in the power of large tech companies that have thrived for years without much regulation. White House spokesperson Emilie Simons did not comment on specific details, but said the president made clear during his campaign that he is committed to increasing competition in the American economy, including by banning noncompete agreements for workers and protecting farmers from abusive practices.Former president Barack Obama's administration issued a similar order in 2016 that pushed executive branch agencies to promote competition but it failed to move the needle.
Biden, a Democrat, has yet to name someone to lead the Justice Department's Antitrust Division, and is believed to be considering Jon Sallet and Jonathan Kanter, both of whom are involved in fighting Google.