Issue Position: Consumers, Privacy, & Net Neutrality

Issue Position

Al has become one of the Senate's foremost champions for consumers, leading the fight to keep cable, Internet, and cell phone rates low; preserve the free flow of information in America; and oppose corporate actions that would threaten our privacy, our anti-trust laws, or our democracy.

Drawing on his experience in the media industry, Al has taken a leadership role in opposing the recent trend towards media consolidation--fighting against mergers that would lead to less choice and higher prices for Minnesota consumers carefully watching their cable, Internet, and cell phone bills.

Al is also the Senate's leading defender of net neutrality--the principle that the Internet should be free and open to everyone, and that content should move at the same speed online no matter who owns it. Telecom corporations are intent on changing the rules so that they can prioritize content they own or select--but this would give a few powerful corporations far too much control over what Minnesotans can see and do online, and Al regards protecting the free and open Internet as the most important First Amendment issue of our time.

Minnesota families are also concerned with their privacy online, especially as the advent of new technology outpaces existing privacy protections in our laws. As the chairman of a new subcommittee charged with protecting our privacy rights in an era of evolving technology, Al is devoted to ensuring that consumers are treated fairly--and that families can count on effective privacy protections. He is fighting to protect families' privacy by passing legislation to crack down on "stalking apps" that can track a person's location for sale to advertisers or worse.

Meanwhile, Al remains deeply concerned about the effects of the Citizens United decision, which opened the floodgates for corporations to buy our elections. Raised in the Minnesota tradition of open discourse and fair elections, Al has helped to lead the fight to reverse the effects of this misguided decision, working to hold corporations accountable for their political activities and require disclosure so that Minnesotans can know who is paying for the ads they see.

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