From the Washington Post, John Thune has one of the most consumer friendly bills I’ve ever seen – AND it has the added bonus of protecting freedom of speech in our free market society:
Should people who criticize companies on sites like Yelp be forced to pay exorbitant punitive fees to the firms they review, just because of a small clause buried in the companies’ terms and conditions?
Some lawmakers don’t think so. The head of the powerful Senate Commerce Committee, John Thune (R-S.D.), is expected to introduce a new bill Thursday that targets that practice, along with Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.).
The legislation, known as the Consumer Review Freedom Act, would ban businesses from bullying their customers as a way of insulating themselves from public criticism.
and…
“Online customer reviews have become an integral part of not just e-commerce but consumer choice everywhere,” Thune said in a statement. “This free market system, which empowers customers, cannot thrive if reviewers face intimidation against airing truthful criticisms.”
Good job Senator Thune! No, strike that. GREAT job!
It’ll be interesting to see the exemptions and goodies he puts in there for his corporate sponsors…
Though you don’t give any evidence of Thune having “corporate sponsors”, it would be better to help American businesses than to help the Iranian terrorist regime like your pal Barack.
What cave have you been in? Just look at his piece-of-crap telecommunications bill and that will give you a pretty good idea.
You really need to start reading. Remember, a man who doesn’t read (or who won’t read in your case) doesn’t have any advantage over a man who can’t read.
Please stay on topic. The old standard Republican “change the topic” trick doesn’t work with people who can actually think on their own.
Have you read the bill, Heisenburger?
Just read it.
There is no one blinder than the man who will not see.
Please stay on topic.
Per Crapium, I have read the bill. I would guess that you have not – simply because it’s pretty clear that you aren’t a reader. Remember, a man who doesn’t read (or who won’t read) doesn’t have any advantage over a man who can’t read.
From a piece written on Thune’s handlers on this issue”
“Both Thune and Wyden received contributions from major telecommunication and e-commerce companies that lobbied on the version of the bill (also introduced by Wyden) that failed in the 113th Congress; lobbyists for the firms were contributors as well.
Six companies and associations that lobbied on the previous version of the bill made the top 100 donors to Thune’s campaign and leadership PAC coffers between 2009 and 2014. Lobbyists hired by those companies also gave to him. Individuals employed by AT&T and PACs associated with the company contributed the most, coming in at $43,000 (its lobbyists gave another $56,349). The National Cable and Telecommunications Association pitched in $39,250 (lobbyists gave $70,280), Comcast gave $34,000 (lobbyists: $62,250), Time Warner gave $28,000 (lobbyists: $14,750), Verizon gave $27,500 (lobbyists: $43,500), and the American Hotel and Lodging Association gave $27,000 (lobbyists: $2,000).”
Thune: Bought and paid for.
i would think it would be worth it, having peoples’ rights and expectations of free speech protected from legal tricks in the incidental fine print of clicking a website’s onerous “terms and conditions” page. we shouldn’t have to even have a bill like this, but evidently we do need it. thanks senator.