Whats ahead for tech companies

(Associated Press) U.S. lawmakers grilling of Google CEO Sundar Pichai may have sounded like a broken record but it amplified the prickly issues facing tech companies as Democrats prepare to take control of the House next month. The 3 1/2-hour hearing Tuesday hit upon familiar themes online privacy data protection and the danger of digital monopolies that are poised to come into even sharper focus next year. Here are some of the hurdles that Google parent Alphabet Inc. Facebook Amazon and other tech companies are likely to face when the 116th Congress convenes. USER PRIVACY Looming over the tech industry is the possibility of government regulation intended to protect peoples data. One model for lawmakers may be Europe where new rules governing data and privacy went into effect this year.Rep. Ted Poe R-Texas tried to pin down Pichai on privacy during Tuesdays hearing. Ive got an iPhone" Poe said waving his device. Can Google track me when I move?" If he moved to the left toward his Democratic colleagues on the panel would Google know? Not by default" Pichai answered. Poe demanded a yes or no answer but Pichai indicated it was complicated.