At last, the tech titans’ nerd immunity shows signs of fading

Congress grilled Apple, Google, Facebook and Amazon last week, and their pitiful replies show Democrats may be set to curtail them at last

The most striking thing about Wednesday's congressional interrogation of the leaders of Apple, Google, Facebook and Amazon was the absence of deference to the four moguls. This was such a radical departure from previous practice - characterised by ignorance, grandstanding and fawning on these exemplars of the American Way - that it was initially breathtaking. Our founders would not bow before a king," said the House antitrust subcommittee chairman, David Cicilline, in his opening remarks. Nor should we bow before the emperors of the online economy."

If we wanted a radical departure from the legislative slumber of previous decades, this looked like it. And indeed, to a large extent, it was. One saw it, for example, in the aggressiveness of the questioning by the Democrats. At times, one was reminded of the proceedings of the US supreme court, where the justices constantly interrupt the lawyers before them to cut off any attempt at lawyerly exposition. The implicit message is: We've done our homework. Now get to the point - if you have one." It was like that on Wednesday.