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Nominee calls antitrust enforcement a 'scalpel,' says he will review pending Google cases
Summary
At a Senate hearing, the DOJ nominee said antitrust enforcement should be targeted rather than industry-wide regulation and that he intends to review pending litigation involving Google after consulting staff.
During a Senate confirmation hearing, the nominee for deputy attorney general discussed the role of antitrust enforcement versus regulation and described enforcement as a precise, evidence-driven tool that can prevent the need for broad regulation.
Addressing a question about when enforcement can substitute for regulation, the nominee said regulators step in when markets are highly concentrated but that enforcement can "stop those markets from tipping into the need for regulation." He added an analogy: "antitrust enforcement is a scalpel and regulation is often a sledgehammer," saying antitrust actions must be targeted and supported by evidence of anti-competitive conduct and consumer harm.
On ongoing litigation, the nominee said the Department of Justice had been handed cases involving one major tech platform and that he would "read into all of the open litigations that are in the docket." He cautioned that antitrust litigation is "very complex civil litigation" and costly, so resources will be a factor in deciding how to proceed.
The nominee did not announce any new enforcement actions or changes to DOJ policy; he described an intention to consult career staff and review case files before determining next steps.
No formal votes or actions were taken at the hearing; the nominee framed remarks as intentions contingent on confirmation and further review.
