WATCHDOG WARNS AGAINST RUSHED ANTITRUST MARKUP

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

January 14, 2022                                                                                      

Washington, D.C. – The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) is disappointed that the Senate Judiciary Committee is already moving to mark up the American Innovation and Choice Online Act. This legislation would make sweeping changes to U.S. antitrust law and disrupt important sectors of our economy. It would also make it substantially more difficult for tech companies to ensure the security of their devices and their users’ information. Despite these sweeping changes, not a single hearing has been held on this bill.

In response, TPA Executive Director Patrick Hedger offered the following comment:

“The Senate Judiciary Committee is moving forward – without any official hearings – on a bill that makes the most substantial changes to our antitrust laws in decades, upending the tech sector and fundamentally transforming critical services Americans have come to rely on. These potential changes put Americans’ privacy and security online at risk.

“This process is being needlessly rushed, especially in light of recent news that antitrust cases at both the state and federal level against tech companies are moving forward under current law.

“The tech sector is a critical asset for keeping America ahead of China in this century. This bill weakens the ability for American firms to protect their users while advantaging foreign tech competitors. It is a gift to those who want America to fail and threatens to rock the boat on a shaken economy even further.”

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Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to educating the public through the research, analysis and dissemination of information on the government’s effects on the economy.