Today, the American Innovation and Choice Online Act, introduced by Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Sen. Chuck Grassley, with 12 bipartisan co-sponsors, passed out of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary by a vote of 16-6.
In response, ILSR Co-Director Stacy Mitchell released the following statement:
“Today’s lop-sided vote illustrates that there is an overwhelming bipartisan consensus that the tech giants have too much power and that Congress must act to rein in these monopolies. Americans simply cannot allow Big Tech to control and manipulate our channels of commerce and communications for their own benefit. That extraordinary concentration of power represents a grave threat to our economy and democracy. We are heartened that so many lawmakers agree with that assessment.
“We applaud Senators Klobuchar and Grassley, and the other co-sponsors and supporters of this bill, for standing up to the lies, bullying, and other outrageous tactics that Amazon, Google, and Facebook used in a bid to thwart this bill and maintain their power. The fabricated threats these companies directed at users — including small businesses whose livelihoods are at stake — only served to further underscore how untenable it is to allow Big Tech to remain ungoverned and unaccountable.
“We look forward to working closely with Sen. Klobuchar and other lawmakers to further strengthen this bill as it moves to the floor and to advance additional measures to dismantle Big Tech’s monopoly power and ensure that our digital markets support a vibrant, equitable economy and thriving democracy.”
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