Now that the dust has settled after Election Day, lawmakers have headed back to Washington for a lame duck session that is anything but lame. From averting a government shutdown to the National Defense Authorization Act, Congress has a laundry list of pressing legislative matters that it needs to address. At the top of that list should be passing comprehensive antitrust legislation that would help safeguard online small businesses and consumers from the growing influence and unchecked power of Big Tech firms like Amazon.
Over the years, I’ve watched Amazon grow from a promising e-commerce site to the technology and services titan that it is today. As the company takes more, the third-party sellers that comprise its marketplace have found themselves struggling to survive. Amazon calls all the shots on its platform, including assigning guilt and shuttering the virtual doors of sellers without notice. Just speak with any e-commerce seller and they will tell you that online businesses have no choice but to sell on Amazon in order to make a living. So when I recently heard Amazon CEO Andy Jassy portraying the company as the victim of federal antitrust legislation, it was difficult for me to keep quiet.
Read Full Article »