Senate Races to Pass Tech Antitrust Reform Before Midterm Elections
Lawmakers push to pass the American Innovation and Choice Online Act before the August recess, aiming to stop dominant platforms from favoring their own products. Supporters fear the bill dies if Republicans take the House in November.
A major tech antitrust bill is just a few steps away from becoming federal law as lawmakers race to pass it before the August recess. The American Innovation and Choice Online Act advances out of the Judiciary Committee and aims to stop dominant platforms like Amazon, Apple, and Google from giving preferential treatment to their own services.
The legislation prohibits self-preferencing practices, meaning Google cannot place its own travel recommendations at the top of search results and Amazon must rank its own products using the exact same criteria as competitors. Advocates overcome intense lobbying from the tech industry and see increasing signs that the bill moves forward soon.
Supporters fear the legislation dies if congressional leadership does not bring it to a floor vote before the end of the year. They warn that a likely Republican takeover of the House following the November midterms kills the bill, as current Republican leaders prioritize content moderation and privacy issues over antitrust reform. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer discusses the status of the legislation with key committee chairs as pressure mounts to schedule a vote.