The president-elect is expected to keep the Trump administration’s antitrust case against Google on track, potentially even opening additional cases into Facebook, Amazon and Apple.
And antitrust legislation, usually framed as an existential threat to “tech” broadly, stands to benefit the startup scene, where the largest tech companies have walled off many paths to innovation with years of anti-competitive behavior.
West is Uber’s chief legal officer and played a prominent role in pushing for California’s Proposition 22, which absolved gig economy companies like Lyft and Uber from the need to grant their workers benefits afforded to full-time employees.
The Biden administration will also have all kinds of quiet ties to power players in the tech world, many of whom served in the Obama years and then made a beeline for Silicon Valley.
The Biden administration’s transition list is generously peppered with names from the tech industry.
Becerra isn’t from the tech world, but as California’s AG he’s been stationed there, and his department currently has its own antitrust case against Google simmering.
In a recent interview with Bloomberg about antitrust issues under the Biden administration, Becerra denounced “behemoths” in the tech industry that stifle innovation, noting that state AGs have “taken the lead” on pressing tech companies on anti-competitive behavior.
“But here’s the thing, competition is essential if you want innovation.”