Hard Fork

Is This the Big Tech Breakup We’ve Been Waiting For?


Listen Later

Representative David Cicilline’s bipartisan package takes aim at tech companies and would be the biggest antitrust reform in decades. But is it too little, too fragmented and way too late? The tech-savvy Democrat is joining forces with Republicans like Ken Buck and Burgess Owens to push through a large suite of new antitrust legislation aimed at Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google. If the five bills are passed (without being watered down), they will empower regulators, raise the bar for mergers and acquisitions, and make it a whole lot easier for enforcers to break up businesses. The power of Big Tech is not news, so Kara starts by asking Representative Cicilline: Why did it take so long for Congress to try and catch up?
In this conversation, they break down the bills and discuss why the timing for sweeping tech regulation is particularly ripe in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol enabled by social media. Kara presses the lawmaker to respond to criticisms — including the notion that the proposed legislation robs the tech robber barons of the proceeds of their innovation and allows government to pick and choose winners in a way that feels more fit for China than the United States. And she asks Cicilline why he thinks Big Tech is the common enemy that can unite Democrats and Republicans.
You can find transcripts (posted midday) and more information for all episodes at nytimes.com/sway, and you can find Kara on Twitter @karaswisher.
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Hard ForkBy The New York Times

  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3

4.3

5,130 ratings


More shows like Hard Fork

View all
The Book Review by The New York Times

The Book Review

3,863 Listeners

Popcast by The New York Times

Popcast

1,451 Listeners

Planet Money by NPR

Planet Money

30,718 Listeners

Decoder with Nilay Patel by The Verge

Decoder with Nilay Patel

3,144 Listeners

Modern Love by The New York Times

Modern Love

8,840 Listeners

Pivot by New York Magazine

Pivot

9,263 Listeners

Inside The Times by The New York Times

Inside The Times

130 Listeners

Channels with Peter Kafka by Vox Media Podcast Network

Channels with Peter Kafka

554 Listeners

The Gray Area with Sean Illing by Vox

The Gray Area with Sean Illing

10,656 Listeners

The Run-Up by The New York Times

The Run-Up

2,065 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

110,845 Listeners

Today, Explained by Vox

Today, Explained

10,137 Listeners

Change Agent by The New York Times

Change Agent

1,498 Listeners

Caliphate by The New York Times

Caliphate

12,625 Listeners

Charm City by The New York Times

Charm City

303 Listeners

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat by New York Times Opinion

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

6,962 Listeners

The Latest by The New York Times

The Latest

469 Listeners

The Candidates by The New York Times

The Candidates

52 Listeners

Jungle Prince by The New York Times

Jungle Prince

2,321 Listeners

The Choice by New York Times Opinion

The Choice

380 Listeners

The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway by Vox Media Podcast Network

The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway

5,421 Listeners

Rabbit Hole by The New York Times

Rabbit Hole

6,672 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

15,470 Listeners

Day X by The New York Times

Day X

1,493 Listeners

Search Engine by PJ Vogt

Search Engine

4,333 Listeners

The Interview by The New York Times

The Interview

1,481 Listeners

The Run-Up (2016) by The New York Times

The Run-Up (2016)

7 Listeners

On with Kara Swisher by Vox Media

On with Kara Swisher

3,322 Listeners

The Argument by New York Times Opinion

The Argument

21 Listeners

The Wirecutter Show by The New York Times

The Wirecutter Show

1,085 Listeners

The Opinions by The New York Times Opinion

The Opinions

455 Listeners

The Run-Up Guide to 2024 by The New York Times

The Run-Up Guide to 2024

0 Listeners