WASHINGTON, DC – Today, The Tech Oversight Project, alongside a coalition of allied tech companies, launched a TV ad to push for final passage of S.2992, the American Innovation and Choice Online Act (AICO). This bill would make historic and bipartisan reforms to rein in self-preferencing from a handful of gate-keeper tech giants and address the competition crisis in the technology sector.
AICO sailed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee in early 2022 and has been subject to a chilling pressure campaign from tech monopolies, which have shelled out over $100 million in paid ads and lobbying to protect their gatekeeper status and block popular reforms supported by the American people, small businesses, consumer groups, and competition policy experts.
Unlike the tech giants that monopolize the online marketplace, smaller tech companies do not have unlimited funds to pay for influence. Instead, the diverse set of companies – DuckDuckGo, Yelp, Roku, Neeva, Proton, Andi, and Kelkoo Group – combined resources to advocate directly to lawmakers, demonstrating once again the broad coalition of support behind antitrust reform.
“We are in the middle of a David vs. Goliath fight that will determine the future of our internet and how we safeguard our economy and families online. The stakes couldn’t be higher, which is why I am proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with smaller tech companies against the Big Tech giants that have spread disinformation, stamped out their small business competitors, and endangered children and teens online,” said Sacha Haworth, Executive Director of the Tech Oversight Project. “Schumer has promised a vote. The White House expressed their support. With a more than likely Republican House to take over in January, the time to get this done is now. We cannot continue to kick the down road in reining in Big Tech.”
The six-figure television buy will run through the end of the year on cable channels in Washington, D.C. – or until antitrust reform is passed.