The American Choice and Online Act Could Unintentionally Hurt the Blind if Not Changed or Set Aside

Sami Hamed is an Activist and Member of the Federation of the Blind 

Technology is a necessity and a big part of everyday life—both in our personal and work lives many of us can’t go a day without them. I depend on Technology to help me navigate and go on about everyday day life as a person who is legally blind. Using Technology is extremely important to me and so many others like me. As such, Congress is right to look at sensible regulations for the technology sector that promote competition and protect consumers like me. However, regulation must be made right without sacrificing access to the critical applications and platforms on which so many American businesses and consumers rely. We see many bills being rushed through and many while they have good intentions, they end up having a negative impact on us.

Unfortunately, two of the bills currently being considered as part of a Big Tech regulation package miss the mark and will have unintended consequences. Senator Amy Klobuchar’s and Congressman David Cicilline’s “American Innovation and Choice Online Act” (S.2992/HR 3816) would make significant changes to major tech platforms and prevent them from offering popular services that people today receive for free or low cost while also restricting their ability to provide information and opportunity tools within their services. We don’t want companies to have unfettered power – but I also don’t want policymakers breaking the tech services we value in our daily lives. People like myself rely heavily on these tools in our everyday lives and if we interrupt the way we access these many of us would be very concerned about the future of what will happen. Should these bills pass, the impacts would be far-reaching. Free shipping with Amazon Prime could disappear, and apps like Google Maps, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, LinkedIn, iMessage, and FaceTime will be more complicated and likely more expensive to access. This is not the fix we need and there is more we should be doing to address these issues rather than making it difficult for us to access what we already are using.

These are not the changes for which Americans are calling. We want our data to be protected, and we want the misinformation online to stop. This isn’t new this is the sentiment of many Americans who have lost trust in online platforms and programs due to the negative impacts of online misinformation. Still, we want to continue enjoying the applications and programs that help make our days more accessible, not make it harder for people like me to get around or others who depend on Technology to make a living and succeed. Congress must find a way to take regulatory steps forward without burdening the very consumers they are working to protect. Both S.2992 and HR 3816 were rushed through the committee without a single hearing, and that is as far as they should go. These bills certainly did not go through the vetting that we as constituents hope to see, especially when such important legislation is being considered that could have real-life implications on us. I encourage Congress to set these bills aside and focus its energy on smart regulation that truly protects consumers and does not favor the big corporations who will benefit from these bills passing.


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