We issued a statement on the House Judiciary’s Referral of Amazon to the DOJ for Potential Criminal Obstruction of Congress. “Amazon’s attempt to obstruct Congress only further underscores the need for legislation to rein in Big Tech’s outsized power.”… Read More
ILSR issued a report that shows how local communities can seize the opportunity presented by the American Rescue Plan Act’s funding to rethink their local economic development strategies to favor local, independent businesses. … Read More
A new report from ILSR finds that Amazon has exploited its power as a monopoly gatekeeper to impose increasingly steep fees on the independent businesses that sell on its site. Amazon now pockets a 34 percent cut of the revenue earned by independent sellers on its site, up from 19 percent in 2014. Amazon’s steep and growing fees make it nearly impossible for independent sellers to sustain viable businesses. Most fail. … Read More
Our 2021 annual report highlights the work we’ve done — through on-the-ground technical assistance, in-depth research and analysis, and coalition building with grassroots organizations — to instill racial and economic justice throughout our economy and empower local communities. … Read More
A new report from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) examines Internet Service Providers’ (ISPs) transparency — or lack thereof — around the Internet service packages they offer. Shopping for Broadband: Failed Federal Policy Creates Murky Marketplace finds that locally-controlled broadband networks are the most transparent around key service details. Large ISPs, on the other hand, are more likely to make information like upload speed and pricing difficult or impossible to find.… Read More
“By establishing clear rules to stop dominant corporations from abusing their power, this legislation will safeguard democracy and create new vitality in struggling rural and urban areas alike,” said ILSR’s Stacy Mitchell.… Read More
Statement from Stacy Mitchell, Co-Director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, on the introduction of the Platform Competition and Opportunity Act of 2021, legislation that would set a high bar for acquisitions and mergers by Big Tech firms.… Read More
The following statement was issued by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, in response to legislation released today in the United States Senate aimed at addressing the concentrated corporate power of the Big Tech companies. … Read More
“As community and local financial institutions disappear or merge with larger banks, more entrepreneurs and business owners are struggling to obtain the capital they need to start and grow their businesses,” said ILSR’s Stacy Mitchell.… Read More
