Washington — Senate Judiciary Chairwoman Amy Klobuchar has introduced major legislation that would change the rules governing antitrust regulation for the first time in more than 50 years. The Senate proposal, like the House companion, would make sectoral changes to enforcement in the technology industry and targets specific U.S. technology companies.
The Computer & Communications Industry Association previously sent a letter to House Judiciary leaders expressing concern about advancing similar legislation without hearings.
CCIA has advocated for policies promoting competition in the tech industry since 1972. The following can be attributed to CCIA Vice President Arthur Sidney:
“The Senate proposal, like its House companion, requires nondiscrimination between products, services, or lines of businesses offered by only a handful of online services that would have the unintended consequences of disrupting Americans’ use of integrated tech services they like, and weakening U.S. competitiveness.
“It is concerning that the country with the strongest tech industry and producers of some of the most popular digital products appears to be gravitating towards government-mandated industrial policies used in other countries with less robust innovation. The type of government industrial intervention proposed is what we’d expect to see from China, Russia, and other countries. These policies would actually hold back U.S. companies as they compete with China and other countries.
“These proposals need to be thoroughly examined so Congress can understand the innovation, competition and national security implications.”