The American Innovation and Choice Online Act (AICOA) has been reintroduced in the U.S. Senate. This legislation would have a sweeping effect on our economy, national security, and global competitiveness. That’s why getting the legislation right is so important. Unfortunately, AICOA has been reintroduced without any significant changes and mirrors the bill that failed to gain meaningful support last Congress.
Since AICOA was first introduced, lawmakers and national security experts have raised red flags. These legitimate and serious concerns remain and the bill’s full impact has not yet been fully examined.
Here’s what we do know:
The bill would still give our foreign rivals a competitive advantage. It arbitrarily targets and hamstrings America’s most successful companies and does nothing to address businesses from elsewhere, including countries looking to undermine American influence, like China. The U.S. government should not be putting Chinese companies above our own – and jeopardizing our national security in the process.
AICOA would open our digital borders to cyberattacks from adversaries looking to undermine American influence and put the data and privacy of all Americans at greater risk. It would also degrade the products we all love and use every day and harm America’s startup economy.
The bill is unpopular with voters who are more concerned with putting food on their tables and paying their bills. Congress should instead pass legislation the American people want – like a national federal privacy bill. We need one national privacy standard that gives consumers assurances their data and privacy are protected no matter where they live, while providing businesses certainty about their responsibilities so they can spend their resources on creating jobs rather than paying legal bills.
Congress must conduct a thorough review of AICOA and hear from a wide range of experts to address concerns and avoid any unintended consequences that would weaken our global competitiveness, undermine our national security, and put our privacy at risk.