Facebook CEO also contrasts with email correspondence from 2012 in which he wrote that it is worthwhile to purchase Instagram to neutralize the competition • And also: Trump's response to the dramatic hearing

• Photo: Reuters

In the discussions of the US Antitrust Subcommittee held last night (Wednesday) for the CEOs of the technology giants, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was questioned about the strategy of the social network in which it copies competing applications and even threatens to crash them during discussions about mergers and acquisitions.

To these claims Zuckerberg responded to the obvious, saying "Facebook has certainly copied features that competitors have promoted." However, Zuckerberg denied the allegation that the social network he owned used such tactics in an anti-competitive manner - for example, pressuring a company to sell to Facebook instead of trying to compete with it.

The reference is, of course, to Snapshot, the social network that invented the stories, which in November 2013 refused to be sold to Facebook for an imaginary sum of $ 3 billion. Snapshot's refusal reportedly angered Zuckerberg greatly - and it decided to copy the features into all of Facebook's platforms - including Messenger, WhatsApp and of course Instagram.

Democrat Permila Jaypala Permila Jaipala confronted Zuckerberg in the face of a 2012 email he sent to Facebook's CFO, in which he referred to the elimination of a potential competitor. “How much should we agree to pay for apps like Instagram. "If these brands grow, they could hurt us greatly," the statement said.

In an email sent later and also presented to Congress, Zuckerberg wrote that "I have to decide whether to buy them." The acquisition of Instagram, worth $ 1 billion, was made a few days later. So basically those emails that were revealed presented Facebook's strategy around copying its competitors.

Zuckerberg responded by saying, "Our job is to make sure we build the best services that people contact." PayPal summed up her remarks and stated that she does believe that Facebook is a monopoly due to the tactics in which it operates in front of competitors.

The committee, which convened virtually following the spread of the corona, demanded that CEOs testify and disclose documents on suspicion of anti-competitiveness designed to preserve the monopoly of each, and that they crush competitors and determine their fate. Antitrust Commissioner David Sicily "We gathered materials from the companies and held five hearings to hear about the power of the platforms. They have too much power that stands in the way of competition and innovation, their dominance kills small businesses."

The main accusations against the technology giants

Google (Alphabet):  Control of the ad market, in the field of online search and operating systems for mobile devices (tablets and smartphones).

Apple:  Its App Store policy toward competing apps and a requirement for high fees to neutralize competition.

Facebook:  Social media control. In the spotlight: the acquisition of WhatsApp and Instagram - which were its competitors.

Amazon:  Accused of harming merchants on its platform in order to generate personal profit.

This is a critical stage that will bring to an end the investigation that began more than a year ago against the technology giants. Since its inception, the committee has collected more than 1.3 million documents and testimonies, which those in charge have had to deal with.

If Congress does not bring fairness to Big Tech, which they should have done years ago, I will do it myself with Executive Orders. In Washington, it has been ALL TALK and NO ACTION for years, and the people of our Country are sick and tired of it!

- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2020

During the long hours of debate, US President Donland Trump tweeted and threatened the technology giants. “If Congress does not bring fairness to the big technology companies, as it should have done years ago, I will do it myself through a presidential decree. "In Washington we just talk and do nothing for years, and the people in our country are tired."