Tech Oversight California issued the following statement after California’s Assembly passed AB 1776, the COMPETE Act, by a decisive vote of 44-17:
“We join advocates across California in celebrating the landmark Assembly passage of the COMPETE Act, a bill that would stop Big Tech from crushing competitors before they can get off the ground. The Big Tech lobby and its ally, the California Chamber of Commerce, have made killing this bill their top priority this session, but California’s broad coalition of consumer advocates, workers, and small businesses showed up and won, led by Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry. This fight isn’t over: as the bill moves to the Senate, Big Tech lobbyists are threatening to deploy their worst-faith arguments, backed by millions of dollars in lobbying – but despite the record sums they’re spending in Sacramento, the Big Tech lobby is on the back foot, and we won’t stop fighting for the COMPETE Act until it becomes law,” said Tech Oversight California executive director Sacha Haworth.
Big Tech’s war on California’s COMPETE Act
“Last week, the Chamber launched a six-figure campaign around Sacramento featuring an ad on the back of a truck that called Aguiar-Curry out by her first name, which the lawmaker called a bullying tactic … This week, the Chamber sent a letter … to the full Assembly, asking members not to vote for the bill.” – POLITICO, 5/27/26
“The opposition is led by the largest corporations in the state. Not one signatory is a small business. Rather, the letter is signed by 45 local subsidiaries of the California Chamber of Commerce and a host of technology, real estate, hospital, and finance trade associations representing the most dominant firms in their respective industries.” – American Economic Liberties Project, 5/27/26
“Big Tech lobbying in Sacramento added up to an eye-popping $12 million year-end total in 2025. Additionally, CalChamber, which lobbies on behalf of the tech industry, spent a total of $13,464,741 on lobbying in Sacramento, and had its political coffers replenished with $3.1 million from Meta.” – Tech Oversight CA, 2/3/26
Widespread support for California’s COMPETE Act
The broad coalition of advocates supporting the landmark antitrust overhaul includes Tech Oversight California, the Amalgamated Transit Union, the American Economic Liberties Project, California Association of Microenterprise Opportunity (CAMEO), California Black Chamber of Commerce, California Labor Federation of Unions, California Low Income Consumer Coalition (CLICC), California Nurses Association, California Public Banking Alliance, California Work & Family Coalition, Center for Responsible Lending, Communication Workers of America District 9, Consumer Attorneys of California, Consumer Federation of California, Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety (CARS), Courage California, End Poverty in California (EPIC), Economic Security California Action, Engineers & Scientists of California, IFPTE Local 20, Future of Music Coalition, Institute for Local Self Reliance (ILSR), International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 80, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Latino Prosperity, Kapor Center Advocacy, PCR Business Finance, Propel San Francisco, Responsible Online Commerce Coalition, Rise Economy, Small Business Forward, Small Business Majority, SMART – Transportation Division, Teamsters California, TechEquity Action, UDW AFSCME Local 3930, UFCW Western States Council, Warehouse Workers Resource Center, and the Western Center on Law & Poverty.
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