Brian Fung | @[email protected]

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Rep. Jayapal is zeroing in on Facebook, asking whether it tries to identify promising potential competitors as acquisition targets. Facebook’s Perault insists the company just buys startups that’ll “enable us to innovate more effectively." — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Is Sensenbrenner seriously implying that because we didn’t hear MySpace crying foul then, that there is nothing to worry about now? — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Sensenbrenner is pursuing a weird line of questioning of Facebook, asking what Facebook may have done to outcompete MySpace (!!!) and whether MySpace ever complained about anticompetitive behavior. — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

RT @davidshepardson: Aug. 1 hearing set in Sprint T-Mobile State AG lawsuit https://t.co/vG0FKdESQe — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

A common theme both here and elsewhere is how frequently the tech giants under scrutiny directly or indirectly reference *each other* as examples of vigorous competition. — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Rep. Sensenbrenner, the top Republican on the panel, is first to invoke the concept of a tech breakup but says the idea is “misguided” because it might not actually fix problems like bad privacy practices. — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Cicilline borrows a line from Sen. Warren, saying Apple operates as both “player and referee” in its own app store. — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

And here we go: Rep. Cicilline, chair of the antitrust subcommittee, is opening the hearing. “The Internet has become increasinlgly concentrated, less open and hostile to innovation and entrepreneurship." — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

And Apple spends a lot of time talking about how small of a footprint its own apps take up on the iOS App Store and how prominent businesses like Spotify and Uber have grown on the back of the App Store. https://t.co/5LvdArFaDb — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

A key theme in Google’s testimony is that its products, services and even former employees have contributed millions to the US economy, in some cases by starting competitors in new verticals. https://t.co/hm5HSKBKLP — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Facebook cites competition in services from other tech giants, and argues it’s never been a better time to be a startup because developing software carries low capital costs. https://t.co/GB45N78lVu — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

The businesses largely focus their prepared remarks where they’re most vulnerable to criticism. For example, 2 out of the 4 sections in Amazon’s statement deal with workers and third-party sellers. https://t.co/7fauETkwY0 — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

While we’re waiting, a quick look at some of the companies’ written testimony. — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Hello from the Rayburn HOB, where the big tech companies are about to face a grilling from House Judiciary members. There’s a half hour still before the hearing, and the public line stretches down the hall and nearly around the corner. — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

This is a headline in 2019 https://t.co/fkXuZgNnO1 https://t.co/6OR8yJr4Ql — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Tomorrow’s House antitrust / tech hearings have added two witnesses, I’m told: Morgan Reed of the App Association and Carl Szabo of NetChoice. — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Opening up Twitter again for the first time after a vacation: https://t.co/oCQXv1ioTh — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

RT @JVernonLaw: @b_fung A client of mine called concerned about a call from the IRS. The "IRS" caller said they would go to jail if they ca… — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

😳 — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

And now — to the mountains for two weeks! Nobody make any news while I’m gone, ‘kay? — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

So as I was reporting this story I kept getting a call from a random 800 number. After five or six tries I finally decided to pick up. Turns out it was — wait for it — a government impostor robocall claiming my Social Security had been compromised! — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

NEW: Reports of telephone scams involving spoofed numbers and government impostors have hit an all-time high, according to new FTC data: https://t.co/v9jiYucJnM — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Facebook has launched a civil rights task force to guard against 2020 election and census interference: https://t.co/mYX9zgZgQF — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Looks like no net neutrality decision today. — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

This has been the longest week. — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Wait what https://t.co/Ku3PIfIPk2 https://t.co/itYkLoZhH7 — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Maybe I missed this, but I kept waiting (on both nights) for somebody to draw a connection between migration rates and climate. For all the cries about how little climate talk there was, this seems like it would have been a natural segue for a candidate to make. — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Biden’s head whipping around at “That little girl was me” is going to be the image everyone remembers from this debate. — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

RT @davidgura: We have a winner: @hellosami. Andrew Yang wore a necktie ... when he met President Obama. Thank you for playing. #D… — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Drones in spaaaaace — PolitiTweet.org