US Senate
Senators Introduce Bipartisan Antitrust Legislation to Promote App Store Competition
Sens Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced the Open App Markets Act, which would set fair, clear, and enforceable rules to protect competition and strengthen consumer protections within the app market.
Senators Rubio and Markey Applaud Commerce Committee Passage of Secure Equipment Act (US Senate)
Submitted by Grace Tepper on Thu, 08/05/2021 - 15:33Lawmakers Call on Amazon and Facebook to Cease Coordinated Efforts to Discredit FTC Chair Khan (US Senate)
Submitted by Grace Tepper on Wed, 08/04/2021 - 16:04Lawmakers Introduce RECOMPETE Act to Spur Economic Growth
Sen Chris Coons (D-DE), Reps Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA), along with Sens Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced the bipartisan Rebuilding Economies and Creating Opportunities for More People Everywhere to Excel Act (RECOMPETE Act).
Lawmakers Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Close the Homework Gap
Sen Edward Markey (D-MA), Sen Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Rep Grace Meng (D-NY) introduced the Securing Universal Communications Connectivity to Ensure Students Succeed (SUCCESS) Act to build on the Emergency Connectivity Fund created under the American Rescue Plan and provide schools and libraries with $8 billion a year over five years -- for a total of $40 billion -- to continue to provide Wi-Fi hotspots, modems, routers, and internet-enabled devices to students, staff, and library patrons following the coronavirus
Democratic Senators Push FCC to Scrutinize Verizon’s Tracfone Acquisition & Secure Commitments to Prioritize Consumers
Senators Edward Markey (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) pressed the Federal Communications Commission to probe Verizon’s proposed acquisition of TracFone and secure specific commitments from the company to ensure that this acquisition will not harm consumers. In the $6.9 billion transaction, Verizon would acquire one of the largest operators of the Lifeline program which provides free or discounted internet and affordable prepaid mobile phone services to low-income Americans.
Sen Daines Introduces Bill to Counter Big Tech, Protect Users' Political Speech & Beliefs
Sen Steve Daines (R-MT) introduced the Preserving Political Speech Online Act (S.2338) to crack down on Big Tech and online platforms’ ability to discriminate against users based on their political speech and beliefs. Daines’ bill would enforce equal access to political candidates on online platforms as well as create a provision to prohibit the removal of content based on political beliefs. The Preserving Political Speech Online Act will:
Lawmakers Introduce Legislation to Protect American Research and Intellectual Property from Global Foes (US Senate)
Submitted by Grace Tepper on Thu, 07/15/2021 - 11:11Sen Kennedy introduces legislation to deny immunity to social media companies
Sen John Kennedy (R-LA) introduced the Don’t Push My Buttons Act (S.2335) in response to social media platforms that track personal data to polarize and provoke online users. The bill would deny legal immunity under the Communications Act of 1934 to platforms that leverage user data to promote divisive content without permission from those users. Many social media platforms collect data to identify their users’ “hot buttons”—divisive issues that create strong emotional responses or reactions.