The American Choice and Innovation Act antitrust bill may not have enough votes to pass and become legislation
The American Choice and Innovation Act was introduced as a proposal last year. If it becomes legislation, it will place a lot of restrictions on big tech giants, aiming to prevent them from anti-competitive practices. Among those restrictions is the prevention of big tech giants from preferring their services over third-party ones. Companies that would be affected include Apple, Google, Meta, and Amazon.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer reportedly stated that he doesn’t believe there will be enough votes to pass the measure, which he called a ‘high priority’ nevertheless. The Senate needs 60 votes to approve the antitrust bill, but reportedly Sen. Schumer stated it doesn’t have them. Earlier, Schumer stated that the Senate’s priorities are currently semiconductor legislation, budget reconciliation, and healthcare for veterans, and the antitrust bill we are talking about here wasn’t included. However, he was reportedly urged to put the bill on the floor in an attempt to persuade undecided lawmakers to vote for it, but it seems he thinks this won’t be effective.
For now, the future of the bill seems uncertain. On the other hand, Europe is also working on similar bills, like for example the Digital Markets Act, which could enter into force next spring.
