The House Antitrust Panel has sent formal requests for information to the CEOs of four major tech firms: Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Apple.
The letters, signed by Representative David Cicilline, Democrat of Rhode Island, and other bipartisan committee members, seek documents and communications related to the companies' operations in highly competitive markets.
According to Representative Cicilline, the document requests mark an important milestone in the fact-gathering stage of the investigation, which is examining whether dominant firms are engaging in anticompetitive conduct.
The companies have consistently stated their willingness to cooperate with federal and state investigations, and to demonstrate their commitment to operating in dynamic markets.
While the investigative work is ongoing, it is unclear how much of the process will become public, as investigators may choose to keep certain aspects of their work secret to avoid revealing their hand to potential corporate defendants.
