At the request of the US Minority Ticketing Group (USMTG), four members of the Connecticut congressional delegation, two senators and two representatives, wrote to the Federal Trade Commission requesting that the commission monitor Google’s implementation of its new registration and certification of ticket resellers advertising through AdWords.
Senators Richard Blumenthal and Christopher Murphy, as well as Representatives Rosa DeLauro and Jim Himes, wrote that they discussed the certification process with Google, and “expressed a desire for Google to fairly equitably enforce its requirements and provide ticket resellers with ready access to Google staff” to answer questions and concerns related to the process.
There has been a concern among small resellers, especially USMTG members, that they will become disadvantaged by the new requirements. Senator Murphy, when discussing internet access issues and small business access to the internet, stated that “…big businesses will make a bunch of money, but consumers, small businesses, and startups could be hit hard.”
“The internet is at its best when it’s open and accessible to anyone or any business,” Murphy said. He continued to explain that the success of a business, website or ideas shouldn’t be based on whether someone has a bigger bank account, claiming that we need to “keep the internet free and open.”
With net neutrality and other attacks on small businesses and consumers by big business, USMTG and other business associations will have their work cut out for them.
Read the letter here.