Congress knows the Internet is broken. It’s time to start fixing it.

The "Internet is broken." That, according to Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI), is the sentiment animating a bipartisan antitrust review of technology titans in the House of Representatives. He is right to initiate the effort. But exploring the particulars of so sweeping a contention may take years. Meanwhile, there’s one broken thing Congress already knows it has to fix. A small group of companies has substantial control over a massive part of American life. This control has come with costs, from the flourishing of online disinformation to a flood of security breaches. The government’s proper role in solving those problems, however, is far from certain — which is why it is worth having lawmakers spend time marshaling thought and evidence to make the arguments on both sides of the big-tech breakup debate. Legislators will need to decide whether U.S. antitrust needs a systems update. But even an updated antitrust policy could not address all of the issues posed by this new world. 

Senators on the Commerce Committee have been insisting for months that a bill is coming soon that would end the unfair and non-transparent exploitation of personal information. They should stop stalling now and prove that Congress not only thinks the Internet is broken but also has the wherewithal to start fixing it.