Business

Exclusive: White House prepares order directing agencies to consider antitrust concerns - sources

The White House is working on an antitrust executive order that aims to push government agencies to consider competition concerns in their decision making, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Biden delivers update on administration's coronavirus response from
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Joe Biden departs after delivering an update on his administration's coronavirus disease (COVID-19) response in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building's South Court Auditorium at the White House in Washington, U.S., June 2, 2021. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Bookmark

WASHINGTON: The White House is working on an antitrust executive order that aims to push government agencies to consider competition concerns in their decision making, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

The push to release such an order comes when House lawmakers are moving forward with sweeping antitrust legislation aimed at restraining the power of Big Tech companies such as Facebook, Alphabet's Google, Amazon.com Inc and Apple and staving off corporate consolidation.

White House spokesperson Emilie Simons said the president made clear during his campaign that he is committed to increasing competition in the American economy, including by banning noncompete agreements for workers and protecting farmers from abusive practices. "There is no final decision on any actions at this time," she said.

(Reporting by Nandita Bose and Diane Bartz in Washington; Editing by Matthew Lewis)

Source: Reuters