In an interview on Monday with The Associated Press, the former vice president said that dismantling large technology companies is “something we should take a really hard look at”.

Senator Elizabeth Warren has been the most outspoken Democratic presidential candidate to press for greater regulation of Silicon Valley’s most prominent companies.

While Biden didn’t fully embrace her proposal – saying it’s “premature” to make a final judgment – he praised Warren and said she “has a very strong case to be made” for cracking down on tech giants.

The comments demonstrate how Facebook is increasingly a flashpoint in the campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, with some candidates arguing the influence of such companies is unchecked, allowing misinformation to poison the public debate.

Senator Kamala Harris of California said this weekend that she was open to revamping Facebook, telling CNN the company is essentially a public utility.

But Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey told ABC that such calls aren’t very different from the tough tactics President Donald Trump takes against his enemies.

Regardless of whether Facebook is ultimately broken up, Biden told the AP that the Trump administration hasn’t done enough to enforce antitrust laws in a variety of industries.

-AAP

Want to comment?

Send us an email, making it clear which story you’re commenting on and including your full name (required for publication) and phone number (only for verification purposes). Please put “Reader views” in the subject.

We’ll publish the best comments in a regular “Reader Views” post. Your comments can be brief, or we can accept up to 350 words, or thereabouts.

InDaily has changed the way we receive comments. Go here for an explanation.