A coalition of anti-monopoly groups attacked the claim by US technology giants that bills aiming to crimp their power pose national security risks, arguing that over-reliance on a handful of companies is more dangerous, reported Bloomberg.
The most powerful US tech companies put shareholder profit over public interest, according to a letter from public advocacy groups obtained by Bloomberg News that rejects warnings about a series of antitrust bills before Congress.
The letter addressed to House leaders seeks to rebut the argument, voiced recently by several former national security officials, that moving forward with legislation targeting Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Google would disadvantage US companies and compromise their partnerships with the Pentagon
Related: New Study Says Antitrust Bills Put US Security At Risk
In the letter, the groups highlighted examples including Apple’s supply-chain reliance on China and reports that US tech companies aid in Chinese surveillance and censorship. The groups argue that business decisions in the interest of creating value for shareholders will always win out over national security and human rights concern.
“Big Tech is not here to help national security or the public interest, but to maintain monopoly rents and market power,” the groups wrote. “It is codified in their corporate structure and law. It is the government’s job to protect our national security, not Mark Zuckerberg’s.”
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