Senate Reintroduces American Innovation and Choice Online Act
The bill's structure raises questions about whether antitrust legislation targeting dominant online platforms could functionally advantage legacy retail competitors — a dynamic that may shape how...
The American Innovation and Choice Online Act (AICOA) has been reintroduced in the United States Senate, according to reporting by the Washington Examiner dated within the current legislative session. The bill targets large online marketplace operators — widely understood to include Amazon — by restricting certain self-preferencing practices that allow platforms to favor their own products and services over third-party sellers in search results and rankings.
Proponents of the legislation argue it would increase competition and expand consumer choice in online retail. Senate sponsors have framed the bill as a necessary check on the market power of dominant digital platforms, consistent with a broader wave of tech-focused antitrust activity that has moved through Congress in recent sessions. The bill has been circulating in various forms since at least the 117th Congress.
Critics of the measure, including analysts cited by the Washington Examiner, contend that restricting the operational advantages of large online platforms could depress the efficiency gains that consumers currently benefit from — including lower prices, faster delivery, and consolidated search results. The argument holds that if algorithmic self-preferencing is curtailed without addressing the structural cost advantages of traditional brick-and-mortar retailers, the practical effect could strengthen established physical retail chains rather than introduce new digital competitors.
The legislative text of the current reintroduction, including the full list of Senate co-sponsors and committee referral, would be available through Congress.gov under the bill's formal designation. Lobbying disclosures filed with the Senate Office of Public Records under the Lobbying Disclosure Act would identify which organizations have registered to advocate for or against the measure; those filings are publicly searchable at lda.senate.gov. The Congressional Budget Office has not yet published a cost or economic impact score for the reintroduced version as of July 1, 2026, according to available public records.
What remains unknown at this stage is whether the bill has been scheduled for committee markup, which senators beyond the lead sponsors have formally co-signed the reintroduced version, and whether the House has introduced a companion bill. Those details would appear in the Congressional Record and on Congress.gov upon any official floor or committee action.