Main Street’s Digital Mandate:
What Voters Expect from Policymakers
How Americans View Digital Tools, Innovation, and the Risks of Regulation
Efforts to Regulate the Online Economy Must Also Protect Local Businesses’ Ability to Reach Customers, Compete, and Grow
Small businesses depend on digital advertising to cost-effectively reach and attract customers from across town or across the globe.
Data-driven digital ad platforms let small businesses carefully target their messages to the customers most likely to find them interesting and relevant – saving money while leveling the playing field against larger competitors.
As Congress considers proposals to regulate the digital economy, thoughtful approaches will protect consumers while also protecting small businesses’ access to the digital advertising tools they need to survive and grow.
- Pass a Clear, National Privacy Standard. Congress should pass a national privacy law that preempts conflicting state rules and protects personalized advertising. A federal standard must avoid multiple layers of enforcement and private rights of action that expose small businesses to costly lawsuits. A unified approach will preserve the benefits of digital advertising and help small businesses compete.
- Defend Responsible Digital Advertising. Lawmakers must reject efforts—such as the FTC’s “commercial surveillance” rules and the “Banning Surveillance Advertising Act”—that mislabel personalized advertising, media, and ad-supported content. These proposals threaten the exchange of information that drives the modern internet. Imitating the EU’s GDPR would stifle innovation, harm small businesses, and confuse users. Responsible digital advertising powers growth and consumer choice.
- Oppose Disruptive Proposals Like the AMERICA Act. The AMERICA Act would create complexity, compliance burdens, and higher costs for small businesses that rely on integrated ad-buying networks. Digital advertising platforms also power the growing creator economy, supporting publishers and content creators. Disrupting these networks would hurt the small businesses and entrepreneurs policymakers should support.
- Reject State Taxes on Digital Advertising. New state taxes on digital advertising revenues would unfairly target online commerce, likely violate federal law, and raise costs for small businesses. These taxes would create compliance burdens, weaken local economies, and threaten the ad-supported internet that sustains free content and local journalism.
- Promote AI Tools that Help Small Businesses Grow. Artificial intelligence is helping small businesses run more effective ad campaigns, improve customer outreach, and streamline operations. AI tools save time, expand reach, and help businesses grow. Policymakers should support AI innovation that boosts efficiency, broadens opportunity, and empowers entrepreneurs in every community.
As Congress and state legislatures advance new digital regulations—from privacy rules to ad taxes and platform restrictions—voters see the real-world costs landing on Main Street. Small businesses, consumers, and local economies would feel the impact. To understand these concerns, Internet for Growth partnered with Echelon Insights to survey 1,030 likely voters nationwide from September 5–7, 2025 (±3.4%).
Internet for Growth is a nationwide coalition of small businesses, entrepreneurs, and creators who rely on digital advertising to reach customers and grow. We commissioned this research to clarify what’s at stake. The findings are clear: voters view digital tools as lifelines. Majorities across party lines say these tools are essential for small business survival, local commerce, and consumer choice—and they are less likely to support lawmakers who make it harder for local businesses to compete online.
Key Insights
How Small Businesses Thrive in the Modern Economy
Voters overwhelmingly agree that digital tools are now the backbone of Main Street commerce. Nearly nine in ten say almost every business depends on them to succeed — from online advertising and social media to e-commerce and payment platforms. Across cities, suburbs, and rural communities alike, voters see these tools as essential for promotion, payments, and customer discovery. They also agree that raising the costs of digital tools would directly harm local businesses and slow community growth.
Voters Across Parties Reject New Digital Regulation
In an era of deep political division, digital regulation stands out as a rare point of agreement. Majorities of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents say they would be less likely to support candidates who vote to increase regulation of digital tools — including new advertising taxes that raise costs for small businesses. Overall, 53% of voters oppose additional regulation, while just 9% favor it. Even among Trump and Harris voters, opposition runs strong, underscoring a clear bipartisan warning to policymakers.
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say personalized ads help them find local businesses. Voters see tailored advertising as a lifeline for discovery — connecting people with new shops, products, and services that power small-business growth and strengthen community economies.
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agree limiting ads risks reducing access to free online content. Advertising keeps online information and services affordable. When ads are restricted, voters say families and small businesses face fewer free options and higher everyday costs.
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say rules for “Big Tech” could also affect small businesses. Voters reject the idea that new regulations stop at Silicon Valley — they see direct consequences for entrepreneurs, local shops, and the customers who rely on them.
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say they’d worry if higher ad costs forced small businesses to cut back or close. Voters understand that new regulations can have real consequences — threatening local jobs, limiting growth, and undermining the businesses that sustain neighborhoods nationwide.
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oppose new digital advertising taxes and regulations, and most prefer one consistent federal approach. Voters want clarity, not confusion. They reject new state-level taxes or rules that raise costs, preferring a single national data privacy standard that keeps compliance simple and affordable.
Explore the full results in “Main Street’s Digital Mandate.” See how voters view digital tools, innovation, and regulation — and what it means for small businesses and the future of online growth.
Small businesses rely on digital advertising to reach customers and create jobs — but new regulations threaten that progress. Take action now to help protect innovation, opportunity, and local growth.