Big Tech companies will make history on Wednesday when some of the most powerful CEOs in the country testify to Congress. Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Tim Cook of Apple, and Sundar Pichai of Alphabet/Google will get the spotlight starting at 12 p.m. Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Wednesday, July 29. And it should be quite a show.
If you’re wondering where you can livestream the hearing, Gizmodo has got you covered. Fittingly, the testimony will be broadcast on platforms these four men own, including YouTube (owned by Alphabet), Facebook, and more.
[referenced url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2020/07/what-to-expect-at-tomorrows-big-tech-antitrust-hearing/” thumb=”https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/29/fy8yhajhcsvdmwicauyz-300×169.png” title=”What to Expect at Tomorrow’s Big Tech Antitrust Hearing” excerpt=”After an understandable delay, a change of venue, and no small amount of prodding, four of the most recognisable business magnates in the U.S. are set to explain to lawmakers just how, exactly, they became so powerful. Yes, it’s a big deal, and not just because it will be Jeff…”]
As Gizmodo explained on Tuesday, the hearing will likely touch on everything from antitrust issues to supposed bias against conservatives on various social media platforms. Investigations into anti-competitive practices by the companies started over a year ago, but this is the first time that all four will be testifying together.
YouTube
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The House Judiciary Committee has a livestream on YouTube.
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PBS Newshour has a livestream on YouTube.
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C-SPAN also has a livestream on YouTube.
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PBS Newshour has a livestream on Facebook.
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CBS News has a livestream on Facebook.
Twitch
The Washington Post joined Twitch a couple of years ago, but hasn’t livestreamed anything in six months. Come back to the platform, Washington Post. Gamers (and knitters) need political news too. Especially when we’re talking about the most crucial tech issues of our era.
Reuters
Reuters TV has options for watching the hearing on devices like your iPad, Apple TV, Fire TV, and Roku.
Every generation gets a few high-profile Congressional hearings that come to define the era and guide the direction of the country for the next decade or two. In the 1950s, it was the McCarthy hearings about supposed Communists in both government and Hollywood, setting the stage for the cultural battles of the Cold War. In the 1970s, it was the Watergate hearings, ultimately ousting a president who abused his power for his own corrupt purposes. In the 1990s, it was seven tobacco executives standing up and telling Congress that nicotine is not addictive, a turning point for the way companies are treated when they endanger public health.
Here in 2020, our Congressional hearing is four tech CEOs who shape so many aspects of our lives — including the products we buy, the way we communicate, and the privacy we do or do not have. Needless to say, these guys have made a lot of money in the process. Jeff Bezos recently made $US13 ($18) billion in a single day.
We don’t know exactly what these four capitalist heavyweights will say when they testify via their online videoconference today. But it will be historic, no matter how you slice it.