Media: Press Release

IAP Urges House to Pass Big Tech Antitrust Bills

September 28, 2022

WASHINGTON – Mike Davis, Founder and President of the Internet Accountability Project (IAP), today issued the following statement urging the House of Representatives to pass legislation aimed at reining in Big Tech later this week.

“These bills represent the first battle in the larger war against the unchecked Big Tech monopolists that exert far too much power over our lives, livelihoods, and country. Support for these bills should be overwhelming and bipartisan. Passing these into law is the bare minimum Congress must do to hold Big Tech accountable. Anyone who claims to be a conservative should support these commonsense bills.

“The State Antitrust Enforcement Venue Act would empower Attorneys General to sue in their home state courts and end the practice of Big Tech picking and choosing favorable courts to escape law enforcement. The Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act would update the system that provides federal law enforcement with the financial resources needed to take on trillion-dollar Big Tech monopolists that use their unlimited resources to break the law and get away with it. Despite inaccurate claims from critics, the bill does not grant additional funds to the FTC or DOJ, preserving the role of future Congresses to appropriate funds as needed. The Foreign Merger Subsidy Disclosure Act would help the federal government combat efforts from adversaries like China to undercut American business and innovation.

“The trillion-dollar Big Tech monopolists are beholden to China and will never put America first. Our elected representatives are either with Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Apple–who cancel conservatives, crush competition, and shutter small businesses–or they’re with their constituents. We urge every Member of Congress to choose wisely, because Americans won’t forget.”

IAP launched its Big Tech War Room earlier this year, laying out the case for the break-up of Big Tech. The State Antitrust Enforcement Venue Act, S.1787, allows states to prosecute Big Tech and other giants in courts that the state chooses instead of one that the defendant would choose. The Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act, S.228, updates merger filing fees after previously being unchanged for two decades. The Foreign Merger Subsidy Disclosure Act, S.4322, gives the appropriate agencies the tools to determine if companies may potentially act in a monopolistic fashion with the financial backing of foreign funds and subsidies.

The Internet Accountability Project is a conservative grassroots advocacy organization that opposes Big Tech and seeks to hold these companies accountable for their bad acts.

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