Fishing for Likes: NC AG Stein to Help Lead Sweeping Big Government Investigation of Facebook

RALEIGH – How does a politician like N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein better secure his reelection efforts to the cultural bandwagons with the most horsepower when he’s already sued the dreaded E-cigarette manufacturers? Jump at the chance to lead a Big Government investigation into an even more notorious cultural fixture – Facebook.

Stein will be joining the “leadership team,” leading 47 state attorneys general in their efforts to investigate reasons to break up the world’s dominant social media platform on anti-trust violations. The real purpose, however, seems to be for these politicians to involve themselves in a high profile, popular legal battle that paints them as invaluable guardians against social media giants, and thus deserving of reelection.

From WRAL TechWire:

“[…] “I’m increasingly concerned about the way the internet has come to be dominated by a few major tech companies,” Stein said in the announcement.

“When companies in any industry get too big and too powerful, they can use that power to harm their consumers and to damage markets. We need to protect competition in markets so that consumers benefit from choices, their privacy is protected, and the next generation of tech innovators aren’t snuffed out by big, powerful companies.”

The initial focus is Facebook, according to announcements from Stein and New York Attorney General Letitia James. […]”

There is definitely something that is certainly too big; too powerful; harms consumers and markets; stifles competition; and, snuffs out innovators. It starts with a “G,” but it is not Google.

It’s government, specifically Big Government, and this ‘bipartisan’ push is nothing more than both Democrats and Republicans accepting the premise that government is supreme, the U.S. Constitution notwithstanding. In their bid to leverage Facebook’s weird popular/unpopular dichotomy, Stein an others will promote the idea that one should only be allowed so much success. They will tag Facebook as anti-competitive for competing too well.

Whatever you may think of the tech giants, their political biases, or some of their unpleasant side effects, don’t let the Big Government Giant convince you they’re a knight in shining armor. That government issued sword can just as easily leave the throats of Big Tech companies, and be put to yours.

Read more about the state attorneys general Big Government publicity stunt here.