As we emerge from the COVID-19 crisis, it has become abundantly clear that the role that technology plays in our work and personal lives has grown dramatically. Therefore, it is important for Congress to properly regulate the technology sector. However, increased regulation cannot come at the expense of eliminating or hampering basic services that millions of Americans rely on every day.
Several bills that Congress is considering would have wide reaching and dangerous consequences for businesses and consumers. Congressman David Ciclline’s “American Innovation and Choice Online Act,” (HR 3816), Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal’s the “Ending Platform Monopolies Act,” (HR 3825), and Senator Amy Klobuchar’s ”American Innovation and Choice Online Act” (S.2992) would make major changes to major tech platforms and prevent them from offering popular services that people receive for free or low cost, while also restricting their ability to provide information and opportunity tools within their services. Should these bills pass, the impact would be far reaching.
Consider that free shipping with Amazon Prime could disappear and apps like Google Maps, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, LinkedIn, iMessage and FaceTime will be harder and, very likely, more expensive to access. These are not the changes for which Americans are calling for.
Congress must find a way to take regulatory steps forward without burdening the very consumers they are working to protect. HR 3816, HR 3825, and S 2992 are not ready to be voted on. It is important for Congress and especially Georgia’s congressional delegation to set these bills aside and focus its energy on smart regulation that truly protects consumers.
Phil Kent is the CEO and publisher of InsiderAdvantage Georgia, an online daily news service, and is a pundit on the Atlanta-based WAGA-TV’s “The Georgia Gang” Sunday broadcast.
