House GOP members announce creation of "Freedom from Big Tech" caucus

Colorado Rep. Ken Buck, the top Republican on a House antitrust subcommittee, on Friday announced the formation of a "Freedom from Big Tech" caucus.

Buck will lead the group, which will include other House members who have voted in favor of antitrust bills including Texas GOP Rep. Lance Gooden as co-chairman. 

Other caucus members so far include GOP Reps. Madison Cawthorn, of North Carolina; Burgess Owen, of Utah; and Paul Gosar, of Arizona.

“Big Tech has abused its market power for decades, and Congress must act to hold these companies accountable and preserve the free market, promote competition and innovation, protect the freedom of speech, and foster a thriving digital economy,” Buck said.

The caucus's goal is unite the Republican Party around such goals as reining in big tech through legislation and education. 

The group will also focus on antitrust reform, promoting competition and innovation and supporting small businesses, according to The Hill newspaper.

The caucus also aims to protect the privacy and data rights, protect children from harmful online content and end political censorship. 

The House Republican Conference recently faced division over what to do in response to big tech companies like Facebook and Amazon, which have grown to where they can over dominate competition while being subject to what many consider too little industry oversight and reform. 

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Ohio GOP Rep. Jim Jordan recently disagreed with the subcommittee over the latest bills put forward by the antitrust subcommittee.