American Innovation and Choice Online Act
The American Innovation and Choice Online (AICO) is a proposed antitrust bill in the United States Congress. The legislation was introduced by David Cicilline (D-RI) in the House of Representatives as the American Choice and Innovation Online Act (H.R. 3816) on June 11, 2021.[1] On October 14, 2021, companion legislation in the Senate was introduced by Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) as S.2992.[2]
Long title
To provide that certain discriminatory conduct by covered platforms shall be unlawful, and for other purposes.
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The legislation aims to prevent Big Tech companies from "self-preferencing" their own products at the expense of competitors.[3] Under AICO, covered platforms would be forbidden from disadvantaging other companies' products or services. The legislation would also prohibit covered platforms from using non-public data collected from business users to unfairly advantage the platforms' own products.[4]
On June 24, 2021, the House Committee on the Judiciary advanced H.R. 3816 on a 24–20 vote.[5] On January 20, 2022, the Senate Committee on the Judiciary voted to advance the legislation in a 16–6 vote.[6]
Background[edit]
Following a sixteen-month investigation, the House Committee on the Judiciary released a 450-page report in 2020 alleging that Big Tech companies have engaged in anti-competitive conduct.[7]
According to Cicilline, both AICO and five accompanying pieces of antitrust legislation approved by the House Committee on the Judiciary in June 2021 were borne out of the report's findings.[8]