Government Shouldn’t Dictate How Online Markets Operate (From RealClearMarkets)

They’re back!

Special interest groups across the political spectrum are pushing Congress to reintroduce the American Innovation and Choice Online Act (AICOA), which would get the federal government into dictating how large online retailers conduct their business. A similar measure has been introduced in the California Senate, and, if passed, could become de facto national legislation because of the website and systemic operational changes it would mandate.

AICOA requires a handful of large online companies to not “self-preference” their own products in postings because, proponents claim that third-party sellers are being deprived of sales and consumers are overpaying.

But there are no victims here. The legislation is unnecessary and harmful and fails to pass the common sense test. Paul Steidler discusses this in RealClearMarkets at the link here.