Media: Press Release

IAP Statement on the Open App Markets Act Senate Judiciary Committee Vote

February 3, 2022

WASHINGTON — Following the Senate Judiciary Committee vote in favor of the bipartisan Open App Markets Act, Internet Accountability Project (IAP) Founder and President Mike Davis issued the following statement.

“Just two weeks ago, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance bipartisan legislation that would ban Big Tech companies from unfairly prioritizing their own products and services on their platforms. And today, the committee voted to support bipartisan legislation that would ensure the app marketplace is freer, fairer, more competitive, and more accessible to small businesses. Big Tech is spending unfathomable sums of money to evade accountability and prevent real competition, but they are failing to stop the groundswell of grassroots and congressional support for these historic reforms. This bipartisan movement proves that no matter how much Big Tech lobbies behind closed doors, they will not succeed. Big Tech’s dishonest, last-minute attempt to paint this bill as a danger to U.S. national security is a transparent effort to mislead the committee and is especially laughable considering Google’s and Apple’s subservience to American adversaries, including the genocidal communist Chinese government.

“Google and Apple, which have a combined market capitalization of $4 trillion, control 99% of the app marketplace and use their gatekeeper control to their own advantage at the expense of smaller companies and startup apps. We saw their duopoly in action just last year with the swift, politically motivated takedown of Parler. Innovation and competition die at the hands of these tech giants, with consumers and small businesses suffering the brunt of their overwhelming power. This unequal playing field cannot stand any longer. Nearly 90% of developers favor legislation promoting a level playing field in the app marketplace. The Open App Markets Act would finally allow small businesses to compete with the behemoths of Big Tech. The Internet Accountability Project thanks Senators Blumenthal and Blackburn for introducing this important legislation and Senators Durbin and Grassley for helping shepherd it through their committee.”

The IAP has advocated for the Open App Markets Act since its introduction. Earlier this week, the IAP joined a coalition of several conservative advocacy organizations urging the Senate Judiciary Committee to pass legislation to break up Big Tech’s stranglehold on the app marketplace.

IAP is a nonprofit conservative advocacy group that holds Big Tech accountable for engaging in egregious business practices like snooping, spying, political bias against conservatives, employee abuses and anticompetitive conduct. Davis previously served as Chief Counsel for Nominations to Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary and led the Senate confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh and a record number of circuit court judges. More information on Davis and IAP can be found here.

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