Washington, D.C. — Today, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee voted in an overwhelmingly bipartisan fashion to advance the Open App Markets Act, a bill that would rein in anti-competitive conduct from the largest mobile app marketplaces. Last month, the committee advanced the American Innovation and Choice Online Act, a bill to end harmful self-preferencing practices among digital gatekeepers, also with strong bipartisan support.
In response, Erin Simpson, director of Technology Policy at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee took another important step toward leveling the economic playing field online. American consumers and small businesses have long been frustrated by abuses of power by large digital platform companies. These bills, along with their House companions, offer Congress a meaningful and targeted opportunity to address some of the worst anti-competitive practices we see today.
We welcome the Senate Judiciary Committee’s bipartisan leadership and continued commitment toward crafting solutions that are tailored to the economic harms of digital platforms. We will continue to monitor proposed changes and potential impact as the bills make their way to the floor. While robust regulatory action and further work will be needed to sustainably address online harms, these bills represent critical progress in restoring choice and agency to consumers while encouraging innovation and competition.
With the backing of immense public support, we urge the Senate to continue advancing these thoughtful proposals to the floor.
For more information on this topic or to speak with an expert, please contact Claudia Montecinos at [email protected].