zlacker

The FTC isn't going to do anything as Google/Alphabet is a big donor to the Democrats.

https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/alphabet-inc/recipients?id=...

Here is them lobbying specifically around antitrust reform legislation: https://www.opensecrets.org/federal-lobbying/bills/specific_...

>>tomsch+(OP)
So are Amazon:

https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/amazon-com/recipients?id=D0...

and Microsoft:

https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/microsoft-inc/recipients?id...

And yet we see high profile activity against them from the current FTC.

>>tomsch+(OP)
? This is provably false. FTC filed 6 months ago.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/24/technology/google-ads-law...

n.b. I've found a lot of comfort by conciously rolling away from any subject that leads me to do "They"-ing, i.e. name an enormously large group, then talk about them as a unit. The more I avoid it, the more I realize how prevalent it became and drives how a lot of us feel society shifted.

>>coldpi+31
And Meta: https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/meta/recipients?id=D0000335..., https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/cases-proceedings/0...

And Intuit: https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/intuit-inc/recipients?id=D0..., https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/cases-proceedings/1...

And Epic: https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/epic-systems/recipients?id=..., https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/cases-proceedings/1...

etc. etc.

>>refulg+v7
It's called saving appearances.

>>TeeMas+1b
So your position is, they'll never do it, and if they did, it's fake. Sounds like self-peasantization.

>>tomsch+(OP)
You're right, but not because of politics.

FTC is on a losing streak, with the latest fiasco being the Microsoft Activision acquisition fiasco.

>>tomsch+(OP)
Republicans control the house. That's who would have to pass any legislation. FTC is non-partisan.

>>refulg+0o
The people working at the FTC have been involved in revolving doors in the very industries they're trying to break up.

It's a simple observation. They don't have the interest to make it pass but they still have to do it to save face.