Senators introduce Big Tech Control Bill

Senators introduce Big Tech Control Bill

Washington, 8/1/2023

Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) jointly introduced a bipartisan bill aimed at policing big tech companies. The Digital Consumer Protection Commission (DCPC) law aims to create a commission to regulate tech giants alongside the FTC and DOJ.

The new authority would have the power to sue platforms and potentially shut them down if they respond to harm such as anti-competitive practices, consumer privacy violations and harmful online content.

The goals are to promote fair competition, protect consumer privacy online, enforce data protection regulations and ensure national security.

The law mandates “dominant platform” licensing and allows those licenses to be revoked for repeat violations.

Like the FTC, the new regulator would have five president-appointed commissioners

but with a term of office of five years instead of seven.

The bill includes several specific measures, including a ban on a company’s own products being given preferential treatment over its competitors.

Digital platforms must have “clear terms of use and

Content Moderation Practices”.

In addition, the legislation would give individuals the right to access and be informed about the collection and processing of their personal data.

„Dominant platforms“ would either have to be owned by US citizens or have a US subsidiary.

In a New York Times editorial, senators said the legislation would provide safeguards to protect Americans, especially children, from „sexual exploitation, cyberbullying and deadly drugs.“

„Incremental efforts to stop abusive and dangerous practices have failed,“ they wrote. „Congress is too slow, lacks technical expertise, and the army of big-tech lobbyists can push through individual efforts more easily than shooting fish in a barrel.“