Washington (CNN Business) Congressional investigators on Friday called on Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google to produce a sweeping list of financial records and business documents, opening a new chapter in a "top-to-bottom" antitrust review of the tech industry.

In letters to the tech giants, members of the House Judiciary Committee requested vast troves of evidence that could show whether the companies may have harmed consumers or competition

The requests cover everything from Amazon's acquisition of Whole Foods to Google's ranking of search results. Lawmakers also sought communications by top executives; records generated as part of past antitrust and merger investigations; and detailed information on the companies' internal decision-making.

"There is growing evidence that a handful of corporations have come to capture an outsized share of online commerce and communications," said Rep. Jerry Nadler, a Democrat who chairs the committee. "It is effectively impossible to use the Internet without relying on these services, which now comprise the essential infrastructure for the twenty-first century. The documents requested will provide the Committee with a better understanding of the degree to which these intermediaries enjoy market power, how they are using that market power, whether they are using their dominance in ways that have harmed our economy or democracy, and how Congress should respond."

The letters are not a subpoena. But the responses could help shape the direction of future hearings or possible depositions, according to a Democratic aide, and the committee could still compel further testimony with mandatory requests.

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