The Los Angeles Post

THE OTHER ANTITRUST BILL ON DECK TOMORROW

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The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to debate the Journalism and Competition and Preservation Act during a meeting Thursday.

 

The proposal would give digital news publishers the ability to negotiate collectively with dominant tech platforms, like Google and Facebook, to distribute their content.

 

A revised version of the proposal was released in August by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). In the House, it was introduced by Judiciary Chair Jerrold Nalder (D-N.Y.) and antitrust subcommittee chair and ranking member Reps. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) and Ken Buck (D-Colo.).

  • The News Media Alliance says the bill would help the local news industry after years of tech giants cutting into their revenue.
  • But the legislation is facing pushback from tech industry group Chamber of Progress and 20 advocacy groups that sent a letter Friday to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee campaigning against the legislation.
  • In part, they argue a provision in the revised bill that doesn’t allow tech companies to “discriminate against any eligible digital journalism provider,” could force tech companies to host content “regardless of how extreme” it is.