The White House has said it supports "the bipartisan progress being made in Congress" on reining in Big Tech through antitrust in a victory for would-be reformers in the U.S., according to a report by Politico.
At the same time, the Thursday evening statement made clear the administration has concerns about "distinct elements" of the European Union's fast-moving competition revamp, which largely aimed at American tech companies.
The nod to Congress's work gotcheers from those who want to remake competition law. They've been hoping for help in overcoming concerns from moderate Democrats, California lawmakers, floor leaders and Republicans allied with big business.
Many of those same advocates and consumer groups have said, however, that the U.S. should support the EU finalizing its antitrust-focused Digital Markets Act. That measure could kick off international regulation of the companies sooner than the U.S. bills would be ready.
Splits have also emerged in the U.S. government itself, between those who support increased competitive scrutiny of Big Tech and those whose job is to defend American companies on the world stage.
Packages of antitrust bills are moving forward on a bipartisan basis in both chambers of Congress, with a Senate bill aimed at app stores advancing to the floor as recently as Thursday.
Getting those proposals to the president's desk, however, could mean sacrificing or altering key portions, and the White House's focus on "progress" may signal that the administration would like to see further changes to the bills.
Climate TRACE's data show emissions at the facility-level.Image: Climate TRACE