Misinformed Claims Continue to Be Used in Pushing Anti-Tech Legislation

By SBE Council at 21 June, 2023, 7:14 am

Harmful U.S. Tech Platform Bill Reintroduced in U.S. Senate

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, D.C. – Bad policy ideas often get resurrected in Washington, D.C. despite their irrelevance, unpopularity and the harm they will cause. Such is the case with legislation aimed at disrupting the business models of U.S. tech platforms and their widely-used tools, which are greatly benefiting small businesses in their marketing, branding and sales efforts. Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council) president & CEO Karen Kerrigan issued the following statement in response to reintroduction of the S.2033, the American Innovation and Choice Online Act (AICOA):

“Unfortunately, bad ideas never seem to die in Washington, D.C. And, as proven by the re-introduction of AICOA, advocating against government doing harmful things is relentless work.  Despite the wide range of concerns and harms that were brought forward and communicated about the legislation, it has been resurrected by the same – albeit a smaller number – of Senate cosponsors who continue to make misinformed claims and have not fully grasped how the modern digital economy and platforms work.”

Kerrigan added:

“Small businesses and larger tech platforms are not at war with each other, as this legislation continues to falsely suggest. They enjoy healthy interdependency, a win-win dynamic, that is benefiting entrepreneurs, the startup ecosystem, local economies and workers.”

Kerrigan pointed to the vast concerns expressed by the small business community about the legislation, as well as communicated by small business owners themselves through surveys and direct communication with Congress.

“Some members of Congress tie themselves to bad legislation and are willing to die on that hill, despite the facts and momentum working against them. SBE Council will work to ensure that the millions of small businesses thriving through tech platforms and the helpful tools entrepreneurs and their employees use are not collateral damage from these types of distorted and misguided legislative and regulatory efforts.”

Related Content:

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OPEN LETTER TO CONGRESS: Stability of the Digital Ecosystem is Vital to Small Businesses, Letter to Congress

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Contact:  Karen Kerrigan, kkerrigan@sbecouncil.org

Raymond Keating, rkeating@sbecouncil.org

SBE Council is a nonpartisan advocacy, research and education organization dedicated to protecting small business and promoting entrepreneurship. For 28 years, SBE Council has worked on and advanced a range of private sector and public policy initiatives to strengthen the ecosystem for strong startup activity and small business growth. Visit www.sbecouncil.org for additional information. Twitter: @SBECouncil

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