Washington, D.C. (03/29/2022) – Today, CCIA’s “Don’t Break What Works” campaign responded to a recent letter from the Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding the Department’s position on S. 2992 and its House counterpart. The DOJ encouraged the committees to continue their work, and also stated it intends to provide additional feedback “to ensure that the bills achieve their goals.”
“This legislation would undermine U.S. global competitiveness, break some of Americans’ most popular products and services, limit innovation, weaken cybersecurity, and increase prices. Rather than improving the ‘dynamism of digital markets’, S. 2992 and its House counterpart would place new burdens on the millions of small businesses and consumers who utilize these platforms every day – a point that the letter seems to overlook as it remains primarily focused on protecting other companies. We know, for example, that these bills would impose an economic cost of up to $319 billion on consumers and businesses. That’s why we’ve launched a national and DC TV advertising campaign to educate people on the harm that these bills would cause, including a new ad just this week” said Chandler Smith Costello, spokeswoman for the “Don’t Break What Works” campaign.
“Like a majority of senators on the Judiciary Committee, the Justice Department letter recognizes that the legislation as currently drafted needs changes. However, it remains silent on bipartisan criticisms that this bill is vague and poorly drafted and ignores widespread concerns about the bills’ harm to consumers, national security, and global competitiveness. Equally concerning, the DOJ is choosing to throw its weight behind legislation that advantages foreign tech rivals, including Russian and Chinese companies, during a time of global unrest and as the integrity of an open internet is reaching a critical tipping point,” Costello said.
“The letter also provides insight into a startling, ideological point of view that the DOJ appears to hold, which is its intention to use antitrust policy as a tool to promote political objectives. This pronouncement of support for a particular political point of view, which comes from a Department also engaged in ongoing litigation with companies targeted by the bill, is both puzzling and concerning,” Costello concluded.
The Don’t Break What Works campaign is powered by the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA). Learn more here.