Dear Editor,
With all the proposed legislation against American technology companies, I’m grateful to our Mississippi Congressmen Bennie Thompson, Michael Guest, and Trent Kelly for their involvement in the Congressional App Challenge, a competition to inspire young students to learn coding and computer science skills to increase technological innovation here in Mississippi and across the country.
Right now, proposed legislation such as S. 2992, the “American Innovation and Choice Online Act” (AICOA) and S. 2710, the “Open App Markets Act,” threatens the future of technological innovation by targeting our large tech companies such as Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple.
If passed, these bills have the potential to jeopardize the economic growth that the dynamic tech sector has created. Many beneficial products and online tools that these companies offer could be a thing of the past, negatively affecting both small businesses and students who depend on Google Docs, FaceTime, and other tools to complete schoolwork and collaborate with other students.
This legislation fails to take consumers into consideration, as it attacks the free online services that have aided our community, especially during tough times like COVID-19. Fortunately, in Mississippi, we have initiatives like the Congressional App Challenge, which support the future of technology for our young people. As antitrust legislation threatens to diminish our innovation and tech jobs, it is reassuring to see that our Mississippi members support the very technology companies that make our lives easier. Let’s continue the U.S. on an upward trend regarding economy and technology by opposing this legislation.
Sincerely,
Josie Coker
