The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday gave its stamp of approval to the first major legislative effort meant to stop the largest tech platforms from giving themselves a leg up against competing businesses using their websites, principally Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Apple.
The bill is one of several proposed after a historic inquiry into the technology giants’ power in which The Markup’s work was cited repeatedly by lawmakers. Passing by a margin of 16 in favor to six opposed, the American Innovation and Choice Online Act would bar big tech firms from using their market dominance to give preference to their own products and services over those offered by other firms on their platforms.
“We all use Google and Amazon to shop. Consumers have no idea that Google and Amazon are not giving them the cheapest or best products. They are giving them the products, and preferring the products, that make the most money for them,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), who is a co-sponsor of the legislation, said during the hearing. “We need this bill to help consumers and competitors.”
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Source: Bill Seeking to Outlaw Self-Preferencing by Amazon, Google Clears Hurdle in Senate | The Markup