Allocating the enforcement market: The Tipline for 3 June 2019

The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday night that the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission had agreed that the DOJ’s antitrust division would be the agency to scrutinise Google for anticompetitive conduct. Complaints previously going to the FTC – for example, about Android – will now be referred to the Antitrust Division. The Washington Post followed with a story that Amazon has landed in the FTC’s column. That’s two down of “GAFA”. Facebook seems pretty squarely in the FTC’s wheelhouse, given that the agency reviewed both the WhatsApp and Instagram mergers. Apple may be more of a head-scratcher; the e-books investigation started at the FTC and moved to the DOJ.