The H.R. 7997 or GRIC Act is a bill that wants to stop big tech companies from controlling or influencing news content in a way that might disadvantage news providers. It aims to stop these companies from doing anything deceptive that might affect how news articles or outlets are available, ranked, or seen online. The main goal of this bill is to protect the freedom and choice of readers when they access different news content on the internet.
Positive media reactions highlight the GRIC Act as a necessary step to prevent tech giants from monopolizing the news industry. They commend the bill's focus on protecting the diversity of news content and the independence of readers. Many believe it would promote fair competition among news providers and would ensure that readers have access to a wide variety of news sources. It is also seen as a potential tool to combat the spread of misinformation online.
On the other hand, negative media reactions express concerns that the GRIC Act may result in government overreach and could stifle innovation in the tech industry. Critics argue that the bill could potentially infringe on the rights of tech companies to manage their platforms as they see fit. They also worry that the bill's broad language could lead to unintended consequences, such as limiting the freedom of tech companies to combat fake news on their platforms.
Based on the data provided, there appears to be a low risk of conflict of interest between the sponsor's donors and the bill's subject matter. The top donor industries for Harriet Hageman, the bill's sponsor, are 'Retired', 'Securities & Investment', and 'Government', none of which directly overlap with the subject matter of the bill, which pertains to AI speech-to-text technology and automatic speech recognition technology in the judicial system. The total donations from these industries amount to $67,500,000. While there has been lobbying activity in this bill's policy area, none of it appears to be directly linked to Hageman's donors. The disclosed lobbying amounts total $569,085, but it's unclear how much of this is directly related to the bill's subject matter.
Organizations that lobbied on issues related to this bill's policy area.
| Client | Lobbying Firm | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| NAIOP | NAIOP | $378,112 |
| ID.ME, LLC | ID.ME, LLC | $280,000 |
| HEALTHCARE INSTITUTE OF NEW JERSEY | HEALTHCARE INSTITUTE OF NEW JERSEY | $50,973 |
| JOHNSTOWN-CAMBRIA COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY & CAMBRIAN HILLS DEVELOPMENT GROUP | CASSIDY & ASSOCIATES, INC. | $50,000 |
| GHOST ROBOTICS CORPORATION | CASSIDY & ASSOCIATES, INC. | $50,000 |
| GEISSELE AUTOMATICS | CASSIDY & ASSOCIATES, INC. | $50,000 |
| PJM INTERCONNECTION LLC | PJM INTERCONNECTION, LLC | $50,000 |
| HOWMET | CASSIDY & ASSOCIATES, INC. | $40,000 |
| PAUL MITCHELL ADVANCED EDUCATION | CASSIDY & ASSOCIATES, INC. | $40,000 |
| ISSA | ISSA | $10,000 |
| NATIONAL COUNCIL OF AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYERS | NATIONAL COUNCIL OF AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYERS | undisclosed |
| NATIONAL COUNCIL OF AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYERS | NATIONAL COUNCIL OF AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYERS | undisclosed |
| NORTH AMERICAN INSULATION MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION | NORTH AMERICAN INSULATION MANUFACTURERS ASSOC. | undisclosed |
| RESTAURANT BRANDS INTERNATIONAL US SERVICES LLC | RESTAURANT BRANDS INTERNATIONAL US SERVICES LLC | undisclosed |
| NATIONAL MOBILITY EQUIPMENT DEALERS ASSOCIATION | NATIONAL MOBILITY EQUIPMENT DEALERS ASSOCIATION | undisclosed |
Source: Senate Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) filings, 2026
Top industries funding Harriet Hageman, ranked by total contributions.
Source: OpenSecrets.org (Center for Responsive Politics)