2019 Outlook: Online Giants Loom Large in Antitrust Law, Policy

Technology giants’ mushrooming influence on the U.S. economy will dominate antitrust policy-making in 2019.

Companies like Amazon.com Inc., Facebook Inc. and Google are eager to portray themselves as mere “platforms” for content and trade conducted by others. But debates over their economic powers and the extent to which they should be held liable through government enforcement and litigation have intensified throughout this year and will continue in courts and Congress in 2019.

U.S. antitrust regulators, unlike their European counterparts, have so far avoided pursuing enforcement against internet giants. Technology companies have had to deal with humbling appearances by their executives ...