Washington, D.C. — The American Economic Liberties Project today released the following statement in response to news that Google plans to acquire cybersecurity firm Mandiant for $5.4 billion.

“The security arguments Google is using to justify its second largest acquisition in history are the very same reasons why antitrust enforcers must block this deal,” said Krista Brown, Senior Policy Analyst at the American Economic Liberties Project. “By buying Mandiant, Google would take control of the cybersecurity firm relied on by government agencies and corporations around the world — the same firm that first discovered SolarWinds. Putting Google at the helm, especially as other large tech firms consolidate the cybersecurity sector, will only serve to choke off necessary innovation.”

“In addition to blocking this deal, regulators must investigate the cybersecurity space more broadly to understand the unknown and dangerous costs of consolidation in such an essential sector,” added Brown.

Learn more about Economic Liberties here.

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The American Economic Liberties Project works to ensure America’s system of commerce is structured to advance, rather than undermine, economic liberty, fair commerce, and a secure, inclusive democracy. Economic Liberties believes true economic liberty means entrepreneurs and businesses large and small succeed on the merits of their ideas and hard work; commerce empowers consumers, workers, farmers, and engineers instead of subjecting them to discrimination and abuse from financiers and monopolists; foreign trade arrangements support domestic security and democracy; and wealth is broadly distributed to support equitable political power.