Senate confirms Big Tech critic Jonathan Kanter to lead DOJ Antitrust Division

[Eugene]

Source: CNBC

Senate confirms Big Tech critic Jonathan Kanter to lead DOJ Antitrust Division

PUBLISHED TUE, NOV 16 2021 6:28 PM EST UPDATED 55 MIN AGO
Lauren Feiner
@LAUREN_FEINER

The Senate voted 68-29 on Tuesday to confirm Jonathan Kanter as Assistant Attorney General of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division.

Progressives cheered President Joe Biden’s decision to nominate Kanter, completing the trifecta of antitrust reformers whose names are printed on coffee mugs. The others are Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan and National Economic Council advisor Tim Wu.

As the DOJ’s new antitrust chief, Kanter will inherit a lawsuit against Google filed during the Trump administration. But it’s unclear if Kanter will recuse himself from the case, given his past work for Google rivals, including Yelp and Microsoft.

The DOJ has also reportedly looked into competition concerns around Apple. Kanter has done work for Spotify, which competes with Apple Music.

Kanter told lawmakers he would consult with ethics officials at the DOJ about recusal if confirmed. Still, he would be in position to appoint deputies that could assist his antitrust approach.

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Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/16/senate-confirms-jonathan-kanter-to-lead-doj-antitrust-division.html

[elleng]

1. 'Throughout his career, Kanter has been a critic of Big Tech.

[3][4] Kanter has questioned the value of the dominant "consumer welfare standard" in antitrust policy, arguing that the purpose of antitrust enforcement "is not to decide what is maximally efficient, but to enforce the law".[5]'

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Kanter