The draft executive order would “thoroughly investigate whether any online platform has acted in violation of the antitrust laws.” However, the option has yet to be reviewed by other government agencies.
Also, the White House Deputy Secretary said in an email statement that the draft is not the result of the official White House policy-making process.
The antitrust investigation would look into the practices of Silicon Valley tech companies such as Google, Facebook, and Twitter. The order asks other government agencies to suggest actions which could potentially “protect competition among online platforms and address online platform bias.”
However, the document does not explicitly name which companies would be subject to investigation; instead, the order states that the government would open an inquiry into any online platform that may have violated antitrust laws.
In August 2018, President Trump claimed that Social Media organizations were discriminating against conservative voices;
“Social Media is totally discriminating against Republican/Conservative voices. Speaking loudly and clearly for the Trump Administration, we won’t let that happen. They are closing down the opinions of many people on the RIGHT, while at the same time doing nothing to others.” – Donald Trump Twitter
The executive order states: “Because of their critical role in American society, it is essential that American citizens are protected from anti-competitive acts by dominant online platforms.” The order continues to state that consumer harm could come “through the exercise of bias.”