Washington, D.C. – TechNet, the national, bipartisan network of innovation economy CEOs and senior executives, issued the following statement today, attributable to President and CEO Linda Moore, in advance of Thursday’s markup of the American Innovation and Choice Online Act by the Senate Judiciary Committee:
“With hardworking families and small businesses struggling to get by amid a pandemic and record inflation, now is not the time for the Senate to expedite legislation that would fundamentally alter our economy, raise prices on consumers and small businesses, and hurt America’s competitiveness and national security. Instead of rushing ahead with this markup, the Senate should hold hearings to better understand the wide-ranging impact this legislation would have on America’s future.
“These anti-innovation bills will open a Pandora’s box of unintended consequences, harming virtually every aspect of our lives at a time when access to information and digital tools has never been more important to keep Americans connected to our jobs, our schools, and our families.
“Passing this legislation as it stands could cost American consumers and small businesses access to thousands of dollars’ worth of services they rely on every day like Amazon Prime, Google Maps, and Apple FaceTime. It will sabotage online marketplaces that support 1.1 million American jobs at small and mid-sized businesses and have a chilling effect on innovation, entrepreneurship, and job creation, undermining America’s competitive edge. This bill would damage our national security and strengthen China, which is why a bipartisan group of ex-intelligence and national security leaders are sounding the alarm. It would also put millions of Americans at risk of ransomware, malware, and scam attacks by making it easier for foreign governments and criminal hackers to exploit the reduced security standards this bill would require.
“We urge the Senate to hold a thoughtful policy discussion around the real impact of this legislation on our economy, user privacy, inflation, national security, and American competitiveness.
“Getting America’s innovation and technology policy right is more important than getting it done quickly.”