A recent survey conducted by ACT | The App Association reveals that likely voters in the United States strongly support the enactment of a national data privacy law. This poll, fielded by Embold Research, also indicates significant concern over the government's current antitrust strategies and lawsuits against technology companies.

Morgan Reed, president of ACT | The App Association, stated, "Before Americans cast their votes on Election Day, our survey found there is near universal support for a national data privacy law and other key priorities for the App Association and our members." He further emphasized that voters are worried about how antitrust cases might affect small businesses: "American voters, by a wide margin, are concerned about the impact of these lawsuits to dismantle services small businesses rely on."

The survey highlights that nearly eight in ten voters consider passing a comprehensive federal privacy law as an "extremely" or "very" important priority for Congress. A total of 96 percent of likely voters see it as important to some degree. Support spans across party lines with 82 percent of Democrats, 86 percent of independents, and 76 percent of Republicans prioritizing this issue.

Concerns about antitrust lawsuits potentially harming small businesses were also evident. Seventy-two percent of respondents fear such legal actions could disrupt services essential to small enterprises. Additionally, 68 percent worry that targeting large companies like Apple and Google may only benefit other big corporations.

Post-election expectations from voters include prioritizing policies supporting small businesses and American firms. Seventy-eight percent favor preventing foreign trade barriers against U.S. companies while 59 percent advocate for reinstating research and development tax deductions for small businesses.

Distrust in Congress's ability to handle tech regulation is high among voters. Over 80 percent express skepticism regarding government protection or regulation efforts related to artificial intelligence and new technologies. Only 39 percent believe government should lead in tech development; two-thirds prefer this role be filled by the private sector.

The survey was conducted online between October 10-14, 2024, with responses from 1,333 likely voters nationwide. It utilized targeted advertisements on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram along with text messages via Echo19 platform to gather participants.

Morgan Reed's comments reflect broader concerns within the tech industry regarding regulatory approaches affecting innovation: "This should serve as a strong warning for both the current and incoming Administrations."

ACT | The App Association represents small-to-medium-sized technology companies globally engaged across various industries within the app ecosystem.