Senate panel approves bill to give news organizations more power against tech platforms

A 3D printed Facebook’s new rebrand logo Meta is found in front of exhibited Google brand in this illustration taken on November 2, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

WASHINGTON, Sept 22 (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee voted Thursday to approve a invoice aimed at allowing news businesses to band with each other to negotiate with Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Google and Meta’s (META.O) Fb and acquire extra profits.

The bill passed the committee by a vote of 15 to 7, in accordance to a congressional aide. It must now go to the Senate for their approval. A identical invoice is prior to the U.S. House of Reps.

The bill is aimed at offering information and broadcast organizations more clout after yrs of criticism that huge tech providers use their content to attract website traffic and ad earnings without having fairly compensating the publishers, numerous of which battle fiscally.

The invoice, led by Democrat Amy Klobuchar, attracted some Republican guidance, with Senators John Kennedy and Lindsey Graham sponsoring it. Other Democrats, like Senator Alex Padilla, expressed reservations about it.

The bill hit a velocity bump previously this month when Senator Ted Cruz won backing for a approach to contain provisions to address what he considers the platforms stifling conservative voices.

On Thursday Klobuchar gained assistance for an amendment that specified that price ranges for use of material was the challenge.

“The intention of the invoice is to allow area information companies to get compensation when big titans, monopolies like Fb and Google, accessibility their material,” she said at a committee session to vote on the monthly bill.

Not like other costs aimed at reining in big tech, some progressive groups oppose this evaluate, together with Community Know-how, on the grounds that it favors major broadcasters like News Corp, Sinclair and Comcast/NBCU.

Also opposing the invoice are two technological innovation field trade groups that Fb and Google belong to: the Laptop & Communications Business Affiliation and NetChoice.

Reporting by Diane Bartz editing by Jonathan Oatis

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