Accountable Tech Co-Founder and Executive Director Nicole Gill issued the following statement after the Senate voted to strike the so-called AI moratorium from the omnibus budget bill:
“Today’s Senate vote is a critical victory for tech safety. By rejecting a federal ban on state AI laws 99-1, the Senate affirmed what millions of Americans already know: states have both the right and the responsibility to lead where Washington has fallen behind. From the start, this provision was as reckless as it was anti-democratic. At a time when Congress has failed to pass even basic AI safeguards, it sought to block states from protecting their own residents from harms like algorithmic discrimination and invasive surveillance. That overreach was deeply unpopular and directly at odds with the momentum we’ve seen for AI safety and privacy legislation across the country.
This moratorium was a deliberate attempt to kneecap the growing movement for meaningful tech accountability at the state level. A ban like this would have handed tech giants a get-out-of-jail-free card, delaying urgent protections indefinitely while Washington plays footsie with Silicon Valley billionaires.
We are proud to have joined dozens of organizations mobilizing thousands of calls and messages to Senators demanding this provision be stripped from the bill — and we applaud the Senate for listening. But we also remain clear-eyed about the fact that this fight is far from over. The House should not revive this failed provision during reconciliation or any other legislative attempt. This ban is bad policy, no matter what name it goes by.
The work of defining and codifying AI safety is taking place right now in statehouses, communities, and kitchen tables across this country. If lawmakers in Washington want to be part of shaping that future, they’ll need to catch up.”
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About Accountable Tech
Accountable Tech is a non-profit organization advocating for digital justice by reining in Big Tech’s threats to society and democracy with legislative, regulatory, and structural solutions. Through strategic initiatives and creative campaigns, Accountable Tech is challenging the industry’s toxic business model in order to protect data privacy, preserve the health of democracy, and create safer online platforms. We are leading the movement to advance a better, more human-centered digital future, and tech for the common good. To learn more, visit accountabletech.org.
