Donald Trump has nominated longtime critic of “Big Tech” Adam Candeub to head the US Department of Justice (DoJ)’s antitrust division as attempts to regulate the sector continue.
Candeub’s nomination as assistant attorney-general was announced on the White House’s website on Tuesday, with an official later confirming on social media that he will lead the antitrust division.
He will now take over the litany of antitrust cases the DoJ is pursuing against major tech companies, including its ongoing demand that Google sell off its Chrome browser and a 2024 case that alleges Apple holds a monopoly over the smartphone market.
In Trump’s first administration, Candeub served as an official in the Department of Commerce, where he helped to enforce an executive order cracking down on Big Tech over its alleged suppression of conservative speech.
He also authored a chapter calling for stronger federal competition enforcement against Big Tech in think tank the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 document, which is regarded as a key blueprint for Trump’s actions in his second term.
In his chapter, Candeub said that “The large internet platforms have transformed the US economy, streamlining consumer purchases, networking billions of people, and altering long-established business practices […] Despite their enormous size, they have avoided significant antitrust liability or prosecution. The reasons for this are not entirely clear.”
In addition, Candeub has previously advocated for a review of Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, which means platform hosts are not generally liable for user-generated content posted to them.
In a 2019 essay, he argued that social media and tech companies use the statute to “advocate for an open internet while at the same time justifying their censorship regime”.
