On Thursday, Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) proposed legislation that would create a new federal commission to regulate the tech industry. Among other provisions, the bill empowers the commission to break up tech companies by reviewing old mergers, and prohibits platforms like Google from offering tools like Google Maps that compete against third parties on that platform.

“New bill, new agency, same old problems,” said Chamber of Progress VP of Tech Policy Koustubh “K.J.” Bagchi. “This legislation takes some of the unpopular ideas that sank bills like AICOA and bundles them up under a new federal commission. The reality is consumers don’t want to ban Google Maps or break up Amazon Prime whether that’s under a new commission or an existing agency.”

During the 117th Congress, Congress debated the American Innovation and Choice Online Act, which failed to move after lawmakers raised concerns that the legislation would limit access to widely popular services and restrict platforms from moderating content, problems which remain in the Warren-Graham bill. 

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Chamber of Progress (progresschamber.org) is a center-left tech industry policy coalition promoting technology’s progressive future.  We work to ensure that all Americans benefit from technological leaps, and that the tech industry operates responsibly and fairly.  

Our corporate partners do not have a vote on or veto over our positions. We do not speak for individual partner companies and remain true to our stated principles even when our partners disagree.