Senators Bennet and Welch Reintroduce Landmark Legislation to Establish Federal Commission to Oversee Digital Platforms

US Sens Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced the Digital Platform Commission Act, the first-ever legislation in Congress to create an expert federal agency to provide comprehensive regulation of digital platforms to protect consumers, promote competition, and defend the public interest. Amid calls for regulation of artificial intelligence and social media, the senators propose a new Federal Digital Platform Commission with the mandate, jurisdiction, and tools to develop and enforce rules for a sector that has gone virtually unregulated. The Department of Justice (DoJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) largely oversee digital platforms. Despite their work to enforce existing antitrust and consumer protection laws, they lack the expert staff and resources necessary for robust oversight. Moreover, both bodies are limited by existing statutes to react to case-specific challenges raised by digital platforms, when proactive, long-term rules for the sector are required.