WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Amazon.com Inc on Wednesday lambasted a bill in Congress barring tech giants from giving choice to their very own companies on their web sites, saying it unfairly singles the retailer out whereas not subjecting rivals to related laws.
The Senate might vote on the bill as early as this month, media shops have reported. The measure handed the Senate Judiciary Committee in January, regardless of hefty lobbying from prime executives like Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook. It additionally handed the House Judiciary Committee final yr.
Amazon mentioned in a weblog submit that the bill “jeopardizes two of the issues American customers love most about Amazon: the huge choice and low costs made potential by opening our retailer to third-party promoting companions, and the promise of quick, free transport by way of Amazon Prime.”
It argued the bill solely targets one retailer, Amazon, by requiring a market worth of not less than $550 billion to qualify for regulation and that rivals like Walmart, Target and CVS had been excluded.
“In 2021, Walmart had annual revenues of $559 billion, almost $90 billion greater than Amazon,” it added. “But Walmart is excluded regardless of additionally being a big retailer that permits small companies to promote in its on-line market.”
Senators Amy Klobuchar and Chuck Grassley, who co-sponsored the measure known as the American Innovation and Choice Online Act, say the measure is important to guard small companies. The bill has obtained the backing of small enterprise teams such because the Main Street Alliance and Small Business Rising.
Amazon argued the bill might hurt the a whole bunch of 1000’s of small companies that promote items on its web site as its giant fines for violations “would make it troublesome to justify the chance of Amazon providing a market through which promoting companions can take part.”
It mentioned the bill would mandate “Amazon enable different logistics suppliers to satisfy Prime orders” and will make it “probably inconceivable in apply, for Amazon and our promoting companions to supply merchandise with Prime’s” free two-day transport.
Big tech companies together with Meta Platforms Inc’s Facebook and Apple, have been underneath strain in Congress amid allegations they’ve abused their outsized market energy. A protracted listing of payments have been proposed to rein them in, however none have change into regulation.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
