While Capitol Hill has been quite busy with other things, the House investigation into Big Tech and potential antitrust violations is still alive. On Nov. 13, House lawmaker Rep. David Cicilline, who has been leading the investigation into tech competition, suggested a new tactic to prevent major Silicon Valley firms from making acquisitions—a merger moratorium until the federal government’s top two antitrust enforcers are finished with their own probes into the tech sector.

Cicilline, who chairs the House Antitrust Subcommittee and who has been spearheading a congressional review of possible anti-competitive conduct in tech, pressed both Justice Department Antitrust Chief Makan Delrahim and Federal Trade Commission Chairman Joe Simons on whether they’d support a “merger moratorium for dominant platforms” while they investigate industry giants. Cicilline further suggested that any big tech deals that cannot be immediately shown to promote competition should be put on hold. “In this context where there is significant harm being imposed upon consumers, it seems like something worth considering,” he said.

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