# Understanding the Digital Platform Commission Act of 2022

This bill would create a brand new federal agency called the Federal Digital Platform Commission to regulate large tech companies like Facebook, Google, Amazon, and similar platforms. Right now, these companies operate with very little government oversight—they basically make their own rules. This bill aims to change that by establishing an expert agency specifically designed to oversee how these platforms operate and the impact they have on everyday life.

The bill identifies several real problems that have emerged from largely unregulated digital platforms: they've squeezed out small businesses, contributed to the decline of local news, potentially harmed young people's mental health through addictive features, spread misinformation and hate speech, collected personal data without meaningful consent, and in some cases enabled radicalization to violence. The bill argues that since the last major tech regulation happened in 1996—before most of today's biggest platforms even existed—it's time for updated rules that reflect how central these companies have become to modern life, commerce, and democracy.

The new commission would have broad authority to write rules for digital platforms, with special focus on the largest, most powerful ones designated as "systemically important." For these major platforms, the commission could require things like making data portable between services, ensuring recommendation algorithms are fair and transparent, disclosing how content moderation works, and conducting public risk assessments about harmful content. The bill also gives the commission power to review major mergers, investigate complaints, and enforce violations. Importantly, the bill exempts small digital platform businesses and news organizations from most requirements, and it doesn't override existing antitrust laws—it works alongside them.

Digital Platform Commission Act of 2022

Welch, Peter

Digital Platform Commission Act of 2022 This bill establishes a commission to regulate digital platforms. These are online services that facilitate interactions between users and between users and entities (including online services) that offer goods and services. The bill provides the commission with rulemaking, investigative, and related authorities to regulate access to, competition among, and consumer protections for digital platforms. The bill also provides for administrative and judicial enforcement of the regulations. The commission must establish a council of technical experts, representatives of digital platforms, and other experts (e.g., representatives of nonprofit public interest groups and academics) to recommend standards for algorithmic processes and other policies. Additionally, the commission may designate systemically important digital platforms. The bill includes criteria for the commission to use when designating a platform as systemically important (e.g., whether its operations have significant nationwide economic, social, or political impacts). The President must appoint an independent panel to evaluate the commission after five years and recommend whether to extend the commission.