Senator Josh Revac is wrong about Big Tech.

Sen. Josh Revac (R-Anchorage) thinks the tech companies that made the Internet today have broken our online ecosystem. But is that true? The Internet is perhaps one of the world’s greatest discoveries and achievements. It changed almost every facet of society and continues to this day, and well into the future.

This online ecosystem has thrived in part because of the companies that have recognized and improved upon it. Companies like Google, Amazon, Apple, and others have created services and platforms that millions of people use every day to perform business and personal tasks, from collaborating with coworkers to buying dinner for the family.

But some in the U.S. Senate want to overturn this overarching Apple cart with a flawed and potentially dangerous Apple cart that could disrupt or destroy the platforms and services that small businesses and consumers rely on. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D – MN) and Chuck Grassley (R – IA) have been sponsoring the American Choice and Online Innovation Act, S.2992, leveling the playing field. But does it really “level” the playing field?

One of the main purposes of this bill is to prevent companies from buying personal services and products, but isn’t that just business as usual? Companies in brick-and-mortar stores have been ‘self-selecting’ for over a century. Consider your local grocery store placing their store-brand products at the ends of the aisles where they are easily accessible.

Another pillar of the bill requires interoperability with other company services. But is this a good thing? In practice, this opens the Internet’s ‘back doors’ to companies owned by foreign competitors, and bad actors in China and Russia regularly exploit the weaknesses of the American Internet.

Senator Revac is right that small businesses play an important role in Alaska’s economy. But did you stop to think that the platforms and services offered by American technology companies are one of the reasons why they have been able to contribute so much? Availability of products on e-commerce platforms allows small companies to reach a larger audience than ever before, and access to first-class shipping networks gives them a leg up on providing the superior customer service that many consumers have come to expect.

In addition to all the practical problems with this bill, it abandons the true purpose of antitrust law—consumer protection. For more than 40 years, this has been the standard by which antitrust law has been measured. Now it looks like Senators Klobuchar and Grassley are ready to throw that ‘big bad’ mentality aside. But these companies got big because they provide valuable services and platforms that consumers love and use every day.

Voters and consumers believe in the free market principles that have made our economy one of the world’s powerhouses. We should not allow the government to control people who act in bad faith.

Adam Schwemley is a lifelong Alaskan and currently serves as the Associate Director of Alaskans for Tax Reform.