TPA Slams Latest Version of American Innovation and Choice Online Act

For Immediate Release                                                                                 Contact: Abigail Graham (202) 417-7235

May 26, 2022                                                                                             

Washington, D.C. – The Taxpayers Protection Alliance slammed the release of the latest version of the American Innovation and Choice Online Act, led by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). Despite minor changes, the bill’s deep flaws remain, putting American cybersecurity and national competitiveness in jeopardy while further straining taxpayers’ pocketbooks.

TPA Executive Director Patrick Hedger and Director of Tech Policy Dan Savickas offered the following comments:

Patrick Hedger: “Under the cover of a holiday weekend, Sen. Klobuchar released changes negotiated behind closed doors to a bill that has never received a legislative hearing. Yet, the changes still do nothing to address the significant risks the bill presents for the economy and cybersecurity.

“A few politically-disfavored companies that are otherwise wildly popular with American consumers are being targeted with special rules that presume many of their products, services, and practices are anticompetitive—effectively, guilty until proven innocent. At a time of rampant inflation, Americans stand to lose low cost (even free) conveniences from Amazon Prime to streamlined Google search results. And while China and Russia are on the march and cybercrime grows, Sen. Klobuchar’s legislation creates strong disincentives towards the most effective cybersecurity practices and investments by America’s leading tech firms.

“Many public opinion polls, including polling conducted by TPA, shows this effort by Sen.Klobuchar and her allies is wildly out of sync with the priorities of Americans struggling in a slowing economy plagued by inflation. We urge Senators to ditch this deeply flawed corporate vendetta.”

Dan Savickas: “The process that has been followed on this antitrust bill embodies the lack of transparency and dysfunction that many Americans have come to associate with Congress. It was rushed through committee without testimony from a single witness or a single hearing, despite very public concerns about the impacts it will have on cybersecurity and the economy.

“Polls show that going after tech companies is one of the lowest priorities for the American people. It is not difficult to see why. These companies keep our families connected, informed, and give us access to quality goods and services in an efficient manner. They proved themselves indispensable amidst a global pandemic. That Sen. Klobuchar’s response is to try and dismantle their business models shows how wildly out of touch many on Capitol Hill have become.

“Further, America has fallen victim to a number of wide-reaching cyber attacks and data breaches. This bill carries with it concerns that malicious actors will be able to more easily access the treasure troves of data on smart devices. Elected officials must take the time to address these concerns before moving forward on legislation in this space instead of hurrying this bill to the floor of the Senate.”

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