Tech industry urges Congress to slow down new antitrust bills

Tech giants that could be broken up under a series of new antitrust bills are speaking out against the measures as lawmakers are set to debate them on Wednesday.

Amazon and Google released statements on Tuesday opposing the bills. Apple and Facebook, which were also targets of the House Judiciary Committee’s investigation into digital markets, have yet to put out their own statements.

But industry groups backed by the tech firms have also pushed back on the legislation, arguing it would prevent the companies from operating popular consumer services and ultimately hurt small businesses and entrepreneurs.

The six bills set to be considered at Wednesday’s markup, where lawmakers will discuss the proposals and any amendments before deciding whether they should advance, would have a profound impact on the tech industry and possibly beyond it.

Amazon and Google called for the Judiciary Committee to pump the breaks on the legislation, which is headed to a full…

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