WASHINGTON, DC. — Jeff Joseph, President and CEO of SIIA, issued the following statement:
“SIIA and our members support legislative and regulatory measures designed to maintain and foster a healthy digital ecosystem. We are concerned that the American Innovation and Choice Online Act, announced last week in the U.S. Senate, would have a detrimental effect on consumer welfare, on small- and medium-sized businesses, and on U.S. innovation and global competitiveness.
The bill would force consumers to pay more for free or low-cost services they rely on every day and set inconvenient barriers to access these services. Further, the bill would restrict the ability of small and medium-sized businesses to access tools essential to reaching customers and managing operations. This will likely increase the costs of doing business and result in higher prices for consumers.
This legislation sets a dangerous precedent. It appears targeted at specific companies in favor of specific business interests, undermining efforts to foster more innovation and competition in the United States.
Rather than devoting time to this bill, Congress should develop and pass balanced, comprehensive federal privacy law. A federal privacy law has bipartisan support and is essential to further consumer protection and foster a stronger innovation environment in the United States.
SIIA stands ready to work with Congress, the administration and other stakeholders to advance consumer privacy and promote innovation in digital technology.”
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