Big Tech running over FTC, agency needs revamp: Republican senator

Sen. Josh Hawley wants to hold tech companies accountable by making the Federal Trade Commission part of the Justice Department, saying Monday that such a move would increase its market analysis and enforcement powers.

"The FTC isn't working," Hawley, R-Mo., said in a statement. "It wastes time in turf wars with the DOJ, nobody is accountable for decisions, and it lacks the 'teeth' to get after Big Tech's rampant abuses. Congress needs to do something about it."

"I'm proposing to overhaul the FTC to make it more accountable and efficient while strengthening its enforcement authority," he continued. "This is about bringing the FTC into the 21st century."

GOOGLE ANTITRUST PROBE: STATE AGS, JUSTICE DEPARTMENT REPORTEDLY COULD JOIN FORCES

The senator's proposal comes amid increased attention on the actions of companies like Facebook, Amazon and Google. Attorneys general for 48 U.S. states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia announced an antitrust investigation into Google in September as the search giant came under scrutiny for possible anti-competitive practices.

The FTC is reportedly investigating Facebook as well.

Hawley also called for Congress to give state attorneys general the authority to enforce all laws the FTC is authorized to enforce.

Ticker	Security	Last	Change	Change %
AMZN	AMAZON.COM INC.	197.12	-1.26	-0.64%
FB	NO DATA AVAILABLE	-	-	-
GOOGL	ALPHABET INC.	164.76	-2.87	-1.71%

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The senator has long been a critic of tech companies. In November, he introduced legislation to combat the flow of Americans' data to countries like China in response to the popularity of Chinese-owned app TikTok.