Congressional hearings are an accustomed ritual, a set piece in the institutional grand opera of American politics. On this side the congresspeople, on their own turf and playing by their own rules. On the other the witnesses, unhappy in the unaccustomed role of being called to account.

For Messrs Bezos, Cook, Pichai and Zuckerberg, 29 July was not a good day. But the legislators went home happy.

Background: The hue and cry has been rising in recent years that big tech is too big, too powerful, and engages in monopolist behavior. Thus this hearing.

America has never been more politically divided in my lifetime, and yet the committee showed bipartisan energy in dragging the CEOs over virtual coals. Democrats are of course in a comfort zone with their fangs in the flesh of an abusive corporation. As for Republicans, there are old-schoolers who really believe all that stuff about free markets and thus are instinctively anti-monopoly. Then there are the Trumpkins who hate big tech because its denizens are fact-driven and literate and thus loathe everything about the current administration. Oh, and Bezos owns the Washington Post, which is very disrespectful indeed.

What the congresspeople wanted: To utter memorable soundbites highlighting the perfidy and iniquity of the witnesses organizations, for use in rallying political support. The session was billed as an Examination but it wasnt, congressional staff had already generated millions of pages of damning evidence. Thus the dialogue was mostly of the form: Here is testimony that you did this awful thing. Did you do this awful thing? (CEO starts stammering.) Sorry, my time is short. Here is testimony that you did this other awful thing. Did you do that awful thing?

It was easy for them to enumerate awful things. Google and Facebook run an advertising duopoly that is annihilating publishers and journalists around the globe. Amazon operates its marketplace and also sells on it, creating irresistible incentives for bad behavior. Apple acts as an explicitly monopolistic gatekeeper for apps that want to reach its 25% of all mobile devices, which live in the pockets of a well-heeled and desirable demographic.

Ranking the CEOs: Jeff Bezos was the best, offering short clear answers and, when he didnt have them, saying so. Sundar Pichai was the worst, refusing straight talk even when in a strong position.

Then theres this from Bezos: The rest of the world would love even the tiniest sip of the elixir we have here in the US. Um, I dont think so.

Biggest problem: The absence of Microsoft, which has been in trouble for monopolistic behavior since code was carved on stone tablets.

Biggest lies: Tim Cook claiming that developers who didnt like the App Store have lots of other places to go, for example Xbox. Mark Zuckerberg saying: Cookies is not a big part of how were collecting information. Bezos feigning surprise at a marketplace seller crying foul over shoddy governance.

Congress roll of honor: Chairman David Cicilline for oratory. For zeroing in on Googles at-best-sleazy dealings with Genius lyrics and Yelp. For highlighting the implicit conflicts in selling on a market you own. For pointing out that optimizing for engagement can optimize for anger and hate.

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal for her argument that Amazons controls against its staff using Seller data to compete against them are somewhere between feeble and laughable. For highlighting Facebooks habit of convincing upcoming rivals that acquisition is preferable to being crushed. For pointing out that in Googles ad ecosystem, it is simultaneously on the buy-side and the sell-side while also offering broker services; as she points out Theres a reason we have laws against insider trading.

Congresswoman Val Demings for highlighting Googles merging of advertising and tracking data so her search history, Gmail data, and travels round the web are all merged in a single database. Ewww.

Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon for rubbing Bezoss face in what looked like scandalously predatory pricing in the diapers.com episode.

Congressman Jerry Nadler for zeroing in on the devastation of the publishing industry and the journalism profession.

Congress walk of shame: Featuring Republicans for endless high-decibel whining about how the big techs are censoring conservatives. And a tip o the hat to Congressman Jamie Raskin who dunked on them, pointing out that on any recent day most of the top posts on Facebook are alt-right propaganda: If Facebook is trying to suppress conservative speech, theyre doing a terrible job at it.

Closing words: From Chairman Cicillines wrap-up: This hearing has made one fact clear to me. These companies as they exist today have monopoly power. Some need to be broken up. All need to be properly regulated and held accountable their control of the marketplace allows them to do whatever it takes to crush independent business and expand their own power. This must end.

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The winners and losers of the big tech congressional hearings - The Guardian