On October 14, a bipartisan group of Senators, led by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chair of the Senate Antitrust Subcommittee, and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee, announced that they would be introducing the American Innovation and Choice Online Act next week to rein in the anticompetitive behavior of the dominant online platforms. The bill, similar to the bill introduced in the House by Reps. David Cicilline (D-RI) and Ken Buck (R-CO) and marked up by the House Judiciary Committee in June, aims to prevent the online platforms from self-preferencing their own products and services while discriminating against others in the digital ecosystem. The bill would prohibit platforms from abusing their gatekeeper status “in a manner that would material harm competition on the platform,” in addition to prohibiting other specific harmful behaviors, and providing antitrust enforcers strong tools to combat violations. In addition to Senators Klobuchar and Grassley, the bill’s original co-sponsors will include Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), John Kennedy (R-LA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Josh Hawley (R-MO). Read more about the bill here.
Members of the News/Media Alliance staff have contributed to this post.
