U.S. public policy needs to ease the current economic woes by reworking the international e-commerce system now — a system that currently gives Chinese products artificially lower shipping prices. Here is an explanation of the issue: As fears of recession persist and supply chain constraints remain elevated, consumer markets are in increasingly vulnerable positions. Broadscale […]
Technology
ACI Holds Capitol Hill Event, Sen. Rand Paul Keynotes on Antitrust Implications
The American Consumer Institute hosted an event on July 26 to discuss the consumer implications for the proposed antitrust reforms, specifically the American Innovation and Choice Online Act and Platform Competition and Opportunity Act. In a keynote to the audience, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., called out the misguided antitrust proposals from Klobuchar and House Judiciary […]
Policy Scholars Tell Senate: Auction 12 GHz Spectrum
Today, a number of public policy experts sent a letter to the U.S. Senate asking them to take the currently underutilized 12 GHz spectrum and put that spectrum up for auction. The letter supports the reuse of this spectrum for boosting 5G and 6G consumer services. You can read the full letter online.
Lawmakers Put Consumer Data at Risk
In 2021, Washington D.C. had the country’s highest rate of identity theft, with over 1,700 reports per 100,000 residents. This ranking should make Congress more sensitive to the risks of consumer data. However, some lawmakers on Capitol Hill are still willing to risk data safety in their attempts to rein in big tech companies. One example […]
The FCC Should Auction the 12 GHz Spectrum
In recent months, efforts to reauthorize the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) auction authority have generated a number of media headlines due to the tremendous role these auctions play in the commercial licensing of spectrum. However, a still significant, and no less important issue that has flown under the radar is the debate over whether the […]
Privacy Bill Should Reflect Prior Successes and Failures
On June 14, the House Energy and Commerce Committee convened a hearing on the proposed American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA), representing the first major bipartisan effort by Congress to provide nationwide data protections. Although the draft legislation delivers on the demand for greater privacy regulations, the financial burdens placed on small and medium-sized […]
The Economic Standard: Congress is Considering a Federal Data Standard, What Consumers Need to Know
Throughout 2022, analysts have been closely monitoring the almost 200 data privacy bills being considered by state legislatures. Despite the significant number of bills being considered by states, only two- Connecticut and Utah– were able to enact bills into law this year. While the passage of data privacy bills in Connecticut and Utah have provided […]
Antitrust Legislation Repeats the Same Mistakes in Agriculture as in Tech
While federal antitrust efforts have been primarily focused on big tech platforms, a recent piece of legislation expands this focus to include large agriculture firms, colloquially known as big ag. Unfortunately, the same mistakes that plague proposed big tech legislation are being replicated in the new agriculture bill. Instead of codifying ‘big is bad’—whether in […]
The Hill: Action to Break Up ‘Big Tech’ Will Mean Price Hikes
It is evident that the Senate bill under consideration would “create more problems than it solves,” especially under the current economic uncertainty. As elections approach, Congress should consider addressing issues that consumers and voters care about, like inflation, and not destroy the competitive online marketplace that offers consumers more options at lower prices. Prioritizing legislation that consumers […]
Focus on Antitrust Ignores Voters’ Biggest Worries
The United States Congress is arguably the most powerful deliberative body on the planet. The decisions taken, and sometimes not taken, in the House of Representatives and Senate have the power to shape and reshape people’s lives, not just in America but across the world. With this great power, however, comes the greater responsibility of […]