Over the weekend, Editorial Board published an insightful piece titled “Breaking Big Tech Bad” (June 5). The piece rightly criticizes the misguided American Innovation and Choice Online Act, which was advanced by the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this year to “punish Big Tech companies.”
However, one area that appears overlooked is the voice of American consumers. In our recent survey report, “The Online Shopping Paradox,” we asked consumers about their online shopping experience and whether they would agree with legislative efforts to restrict Amazon’s online retail presence. The results of the survey showed widespread satisfaction with Amazon Prime and very little appetite for new antitrust regulations.
Specifically, 97% of respondents said they were either somewhat satisfied or very satisfied with Amazon Prime services, citing convenience, free shipping and price, among the reasons. And while 22% of respondents strongly agreed with the statement that “Amazon is too big,” 52% of respondents either opposed or strongly opposed “breaking up Amazon into smaller companies” and 62% opposed legislation that “could eliminate” their Prime services. Consumers also said they saved money when they shop on Amazon Prime compared to other options.
These results were consistent across political parties.
Yes, the Editorial Board was correct in saying — when “lawmakers and regulators move too fast, they break things.” As it turns out, consumers agree. Addressing inflation should be a political priority for Washington, not handicapping tech platforms that offer consumers more choices at lower prices.