(AP) — Un panel Congresional di Merca a sigui pusha ayera cu legislacion ambicioso cu por controla e poder di mercado di gigantenan tecnologico Facebook, Google, Amazon y Apple y forsa nan separa nan plataformanan dominante for di nan otro lineanan comercial.
Legisladornan Republicano conservador a debati riba lenguahe legislativo y a pusha preocupacion di prehuicio anti-conservador percibi riba plataforma online, pero esey no por a stop e momentum bipartisano sosteniendo e pakete.
E sesion y votacion pa e Comite Hudiciario di Congreso ta stapnan inicial den loke ta priminti di ta un proceso strenuo den Congreso. Varios legislador Republicano ta denuncia e dominio di mercado di Big Tech pero no ta sostene e cambionan amplio na e leynan di competencia.
E comite di mayoria democrata a haci un trabao rapido di loke ta argumentablemente e leynan menos controversial den e pakete, cu a keda aproba maske cu obhecionnan Republicano. Un medida cu lo aumenta e presupuesto di e Comision Federal di Comercio (FTC) a genera rabia entre conservadornan Republicano como un avenida pa amplifica poder pa e agencia. E legislacion, cu a pasa 29-12 y a bay na henter e Congreso Mericano, lo aumenta suma di entrega pa fusionnan tecnologico proponi na balor di mas di $500 miyon y lo reduci e suma pa esnan bao di e nivel aki.
Un segundo legislacion lo duna e estadonan mas poder riba companianan pa determina e cortenan den cual por enhuicia casonan anticompetencia. Varios fiscal general estatal a entrega casonan anticompetencia contra companianan gigante di tecnologia, y cantidad di estado a uni cu Departamento di Husticia Mericano y e FTC den nan demanda anticompetencia contra Google y Facebook respectivamente, aña pasa.
E medida a ricibi hopi voto Republicano y a keda aproba 34-7.
E panel a bay despues den un medida compleho cu lo rekeri plataformanan online permiti usuarionan comunica directamente cu usuarionan riba servicionan rival. Proponentenan a bisa cu tambe lo duna consumidornan mas poder pa determina con y cu ken ta comparti nan data.
E avance di e legislacion bipartisano masivo ta yega mientras e gigantenan tecnologico ya ta birando mas sabi bao investigacionnan federal, demandanan epico anticompetencia, condena casi constante di politiconan di ambos partido, y un cabesante recien instala den e poderoso FTC cu ta un critico feroz di e industria.
E pakete legislativo, lidera pa critico di e industria, representante David Cicilline di Rhode Island, ta enfoca riba structura di e compania y por dirigi pa separa nan, un stap dramatico pa Congreso tuma contra un industria poderoso, cual su productonan ta mara den tur aspecto di bida diario. Si stapnan asina bira obligatorio, nan lo por trece e cambionan di mas grandi na e industria desde e caso historico di gobierno federal contra Microsoft alrededor di 20 aña pasa.
E legisladornan Democrata defendiendo e propuestanan a reafirma e caso pa controla Big Tech mientras e comite a cuminsa evalua e legislacion. E lo ‘habri caminda pa un economia mas fuerte y democracia mas fuerte pa pueblo Mericano door di combati abusonan anticompetencia di e companianan mas dominante online”, segun representante Jerrold Nadler, un democrata di New York y presidente di e Comite Hudiciario, a bisa. “Cada ley ta un parti esencial di un plan bipartisano pa iguala e campo pa innovador-, entrepreneur y startupnan – y pa trece e beneficionan di mas innovacion
The Democratic lawmakers championing the proposals reaffirmed the case for curbing Big Tech as the committee began digging into the legislation.
It “will pave the way for a stronger economy and a stronger democracy for the American people by reining in anti-competitive abuses of the most dominant firms online,” said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., the Judiciary Committee chair. “Each bill is an essential part of a bipartisan plan to level the playing field for innovators, entrepreneurs and startup — and to bring the benefits of increased innovation and choice to American consumers.”
Conservative Republicans laid down their markers. They insisted that the proposed legislation doesn’t truly attack anti-competitive abuses by the tech industry because it fails to address anti-conservative bias on its social media platforms.
And they previewed a fight over legislative definitions. The legislation as drafted would apply to online platforms with 50 million or more monthly active users, annual sales or market value of over $600 billion, and a role as “a critical trading partner.”
The new proposals “make it worse,” insisted Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the panel’s senior Republican. “They don’t break up Big Tech. They don’t stop censorship.”
The legislation’s definition of which online platforms would fall under stricter antitrust standards could mean that companies such as Microsoft, Walmart and Visa would soon be included, Jordan suggested. “Who knows where it will end?” he said.
President Joe Biden’s surprise move last week elevating antitrust legal scholar Lina Khan to head the FTC was a clear signal of a tough stance toward the tech giants. It was top of mind for the conservative Republicans objecting to the new legislation. Khan played a key role in the Judiciary Committee’s 2019-20 sweeping investigation of the tech giants’ market power.
The four companies deny abusing their dominant market position and assert that improper intervention in the market through legislation would hurt small businesses and consumers.
In a letter to committee leaders Tuesday, a top Apple executive said the proposed legislation “would undermine consumers’ ability to choose products that offer state-of-the-art privacy and security” and would hamper innovation and weaken competition.
Lauded as engines of innovation, the Silicon Valley giants for decades enjoyed minimal regulation and star status in Washington, with a notable coziness during the Obama administration, when Biden was vice president. The industry’s fortunes abruptly reversed about two years ago, when the companies came under intense federal scrutiny, a searing congressional investigation, and growing public criticism over issues of competition, consumer privacy and hate speech.
Biden said as a presidential candidate that dismantling the big tech companies should be considered. He also has said he wants to see changes to the social media companies’ long-held legal protections for speech on their platforms.
The legislative proposals also would prohibit the tech giants from favoring their own products and services over competitors on their platforms. The legislation was informed by the 15-month Judiciary antitrust investigation, led by Cicilline, that concluded the four tech giants have abused their market power by charging excessive fees, imposing tough contract terms and extracting valuable data from individuals and businesses that rely on them.
The legislation also would make it tougher for the giant tech companies to snap up competitors in mergers, which they have completed by scores in recent years.
Democrats control the House, but they would need to garner significant Republican support in the Senate for legislation to pass. The chamber is split 50-50 with the Democrats’ one-vote margin depending on Vice President Kamala Harris being the tiebreaker.
