47 Attorneys general now support Facebook antitrust investigation

Re:47 Attorneys general now support Facebook antitrust inves... by throwaway_law on Tuesday October 22, 2019 @04:50PM (#21328372)

The Attorney's General Offices are government institutions their budgets and their salaries are set by the legislatures. They don't get bigger budgets and employ more attorneys because they are investigating Facebook. Its the same as any DA/state attorney office, they don't get more money or hire more attorney's because they file more criminal charges.

If anything the government attorneys are hurting themselves professionally because they will be blackballed from ever working at Facebook and likely many other big tech companies.

Was the 1990's MS antitrust investigation and case all smoke and mirrors by attorneys for some private gain also?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:47 Attorneys general now support Facebook antitrust inves... by kazinator on Tuesday October 22, 2019 @04:54PM (#21328411)

> They don't get bigger budgets and employ more attorneys because they are investigating Facebook.

That seems a bit naive though; of course investigating Facebook is a demonstration of the wielding of power. If they can investigate and punish Facebook, their power and importance grows.

> If anything the government attorneys are hurting themselves professionally ...

Not if we consider their profession to be more of whatever they are doing now; if they do a good job in that, they advance. The more junior people involved in the investigation do good jobs, and advance to better, more senior positions and so on.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:47 Attorneys general now support Facebook antitrust inves... by imgabe on Tuesday October 22, 2019 @05:15PM (#21328564)

Of course they can investigate Facebook. That is literally their job. Their power isn't growing they are just using the power they already have.

Are you saying Facebook should be above the law and not answerable to any government?

[ Parent | on HN ]