Gunster shareholder Jonathan Osborne was recently quoted in an article published by the BBC covering the success tech companies have experienced during the coronavirus pandemic. The article focuses on how technology companies, in particular Amazon, have enabled some businesses continue to function while temporarily closing stores. The article explains how these tech companies have expanded from their original offerings to having multiple diverse focuses, and in some cases monopolies in multiple sectors.
According to the article, “Before the pandemic, there had been scrutiny on Big Tech. The US House Judiciary antitrust subcommittee sent requests for information to Amazon, Apple, Google owner Alphabet and Facebook in September 2019, with the government concerned that only a small number of companies hold such a big share of the digital market.” The coronavirus has delayed these investigations and Gunster’s Jonathan Osborne stated, "Those focused on antitrust will renew their attention on big tech companies because we're in an election year [in the US] and both parties are going to want the attention on their efforts to regulate business”.
Multiple investigations face the companies of Amazon, Apple, Google and Facebook and what the future holds for these in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic are unknown, especially with the potential increased scrutiny it has brought.
Jonathan Osborne is a shareholder in Gunster’s Business Litigation practice who concentrates his practice in the areas of litigation, investigations and compliance. Jonathan is a former Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of Florida and has investigated and prosecuted a wide array of criminal violations by companies and individuals.
Read the full BBC article here: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-53046873
