Lawmakers in Capital Hill are putting pressure on accounts aimed at limiting the power of the country’s biggest technology companies, as the window of opportunity closes quickly ahead of the midterm elections.
The Senate committee is expected to vote Thursday on a law banning companies such as Amazon, Apple and Google from promoting their products above their competitors. Many lawmakers are installing anti-Semitism accounts that make it easier to dismantle technology giants. And some are making a last-ditch effort to strengthen privacy, protect children online, curb misinformation, block targeted ads, and control artificial intelligence and cryptocurrencies.
Most of the ideas before Congress are long shots. President Biden and senior Democrats in Congress have said that resolving industrial power is a priority, but many other issues are on the agenda. These include enacting the Electoral Law, adjusting labor and supply chain restrictions, developing a social service package, and rescuing the country from the CVD-19 epidemic.
Still, the next few months are probably the last chance for a while. After that, the focus will be on midterm elections, and Democrats who support technology-focused efforts more than Republicans could lose control of Congress.
“This is a long-standing problem and it is clear to everyone,” said Minnesota Democrat Sen. Amy Klopp. But when you get to the bottom of it all, it ‘s a very difficult thing to do.
Over the years, Congress has uncovered concerns about technology giants. Still, dozens of bills have not been passed, as many other countries have complied with industry regulations.
When Mr Biden took office last year, he promised to be more competitive in the economy, especially in the technology sector. He appointed voice technology critics to lead anti-Semitism agencies, and this month the press secretary-general said he was “encouraged to look into bilateral interest in Congress by enacting legislation to address the power of technology platforms through anti-security legislation.”
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Bruce Reed and Director of the National Economic Council Brian Disse met Wednesday with executives from Yelp and Sonos, who have called for action against the tech giants. “Entrepreneurs, brick and mortar retailers and other businesses have discussed the challenges of competition in a few major forums,” the White House said in a statement. The administration said it planned to work with Congress, but did not pass any specific legislation targeting the companies.
Complicating matters is the fact that the two parties have widely agreed that Congress should do something, but they do not always agree on what should be.
Over the past few years, dozens of disagreements over how to protect consumers in a way that promotes Silicon Valley growth have dried up. Some utility bills, such as online content modesty, are particularly polarized. Republicans have backed legislation to force companies to drop more content.
Rebecca Alinsworth, a professor at the Vanderbilt Law School of Anti-Semitism, says:
“At the end of the day, the rule is the rule,” she said, “so it’s difficult to get more Republicans on board as a big tech regulator.”
The bill, which is expected to be unveiled by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, will make it difficult for Amazon users to pass on their Amazon branded toiletries and socks and make those products difficult to compare with other brands. It may force Apple to allow options from Apple Pay in iPhone apps. And it may prevent Google from placing its own services at the top of search results such as travel prices, restaurant reviews and purchase results.
The bill, introduced by Mrs. Clobuchaar and Iowa Republican Senator Charles E. Grassley, aims to address the concerns of a handful of technology giants who act as gateways for digital goods and services. Alphabet, Amazon, Apple and Facebook have total market capitalization of $ 7 trillion.
“In recent years, Big Tech has played a major role in determining what Americans buy, hear, see and say online,” Mr Grassley said in a statement. He added that the law aims to bring “greater fairness and transparency for small businesses to these major online platforms”.
Consumer groups and dozens of tech startups support the bill. Some consumer advocates have compared the law to a monopoly on TV providers that require all networks to reach cable customers. The move did not end the cable TV business, but it did not stop the competition from monopoly suppliers.
“Consumers will benefit from this account by making it easier to install, select and use alternative apps and online services,” said Summit Sharma, a senior technology competitor in consumer reports, which allows consumers and small businesses to switch easily. Ecology by combining and combining services from different providers.
Silicon Valley lobbyists fought the bill in published comment sections, campaigns, and one-on-one appeals. Google’s parent company Sundar Pichai and Apple CEO Tim Cook have called on lawmakers to oppose the bill.
The company’s lobbyists have argued that the law could eliminate malware and hardware errors and undermine their services. In a blog post on Tuesday, Google’s chief legal officer Kent Walker took a hard look at the potential impact on him and other accounts. there is. Spam blocking in Gmail may need to be stopped. A person seeking medical attention may not show “clear information” and “you need to be guided to a lower quality mix”.
The companies also say the proposals – focused on their size – will hurt small businesses. In recent months, Amazon has urged retailers to talk to lawyers about the risk of the bill.
Brian Hussein, vice president of the company’s public policy, said in a statement that the law could hamper Amazon’s premium shipping benefits to those vendors.
Mrs. Clobuchaar’s account specifically targets the growing business of Amazon.
Amazon argues that many major retailers, such as Costco and Walmart, do the same thing. “The authors of the bill are targeting traditional retail practices and, unfortunately, are a priority for other large retailers involved in the same process,” said Mr Hussein.
The Judiciary Committee on Thursday faces the daunting task of securing the support of 60 senators if they support Mrs. Clobuchaar’s law. In the House, anti-Semitism advocates should get enough Republicans for Democrats who oppose the resolution.
William E. Kovacic, former chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, spoke of the “catastrophic opportunities”. “Nothing happened. And the clock is ticking. ”