Jonathan Kanter, the third of three progressives appointed by President Joe Biden to the top U.S. antitrust posts, pledged Wednesday to enforce antitrust law in agriculture, pharmaceutical prices, the labor market and big tech.
Kanter beamed with excitement when asked about the labor market, where non-compete agreements and other issues have come under fire for making it harder for workers to leave their jobs for more competitive pay or better working conditions.
If confirmed by the Senate, Kanter will head the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, amid calls for tougher enforcement and more criticism of Google, Facebook, Amazon and Apple, the tech giants that have strongly denied any unethical behavior.
The department has taken Google to court and is investigating Apple for antitrust violations.
Kanter has represented Google’s rivals for years, who sued the Justice Department last year after alleging it violated antitrust law to obstruct rivals.