Press Releases

Small Business Owners Urge Texas Legislators to Stop Possible Tax on Online Marketplace Fees
(April 17, 2025) — Small Texas online sellers today held a press conference urging Texas lawmakers to pass legislation (HB 1681/SB 265) ensuring online sellers won’t have to pay taxes on fees they pay digital marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, and Walmart. The press conference came as the House Ways and Means Committee plans to hold…

3C Applauds Governor Moore for Withdrawing Delivery Tax Proposal
WASHINGTON (March 20, 2025) — Connected Commerce Council Executive Director Rob Retzlaff today issued a statement in response to Maryland Governor Wes Moore’s withdrawal of a proposed 75-cent tax on online-order deliveries. “Governor Moore made the right decision. The proposed doorstep-delivery tax would have unfairly burdened Marylanders — particularly those with mobility issues — who…

3C Endorses Sen. Young’s Small Business Technological Advancement Act
WASHINGTON (March 13, 2025) — The Connected Commerce Council (3C), a nonprofit organization that advocates on behalf of digitally empowered small businesses, today voiced its support for the Small Business Technological Advancement Act. The bipartisan legislation would clarify that small businesses can use the Small Business Administration’s (SBA’s) 7(a) loan program to purchase digital tools,…

New Study Finds Small Business Leaders Rely on Digital Tools and AI to Succeed in Today’s Uncertain Economy
WASHINGTON (March 13, 2025) — A new study from the Connected Commerce Council (3C) found that small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are using digital tools to manage economic uncertainty and compete with larger companies. The report also showed that SMBs’ continued success depends on access to digital tools — including those powered by data and…

Maryland Retailers Alliance & Connected Commerce Council Applaud Proposed Bill to Balance Consumer Privacy and Small Business Competitiveness
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (March 7, 2025) — Today, the Maryland Retailers Alliance (MRA) and Connected Commerce Council (3C) voiced support for a proposed bill fixing overbroad data regulation in the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act. The legislation would keep important consumer data privacy protections in place, but change current provisions that make it harder for small…

New Report Shows Retail Choices and Competition Fuel American Small Business Success
WASHINGTON (March 5, 2025) — The Connected Commerce Council (3C) and Data Catalyst Institute (DCI) today released a new report, Super Selling: How Retail Choices and Competition Fuel American Small Sellers’ Success, revealing a dynamic retail ecosystem with robust competition at every level. The report, based on a survey of 1,500 U.S. small and medium-sized…

3C Reacts to Closing Arguments in Google’s Ad Tech Trial
WASHINGTON (Nov. 25, 2024): Connected Commerce Council (3C) Executive Director Rob Retzlaff today issued the following statement in response to the Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) closing arguments in the U.S. v. Google LLC “ad tech” trial. “The DOJ continues to ignore the clear realities of the online advertising ecosystem and deny the enormous value Google’s…

New Research Shows AI’s Growing Role in Driving Online Advertising’s Value
WASHINGTON (Nov. 21, 2024) — As business owners look for ways to gear up for Small Business Saturday, a recent study led by the Connected Commerce Council (3C) and Advertiser Perceptions found that U.S. small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are rapidly adopting artificial intelligence (AI) to make their digital advertising more effective, and many SMBs…

3C Reacts to the DOJ’s Proposed Remedies in Google Search Case
WASHINGTON (Nov. 21, 2024): Connected Commerce Council (3C) Executive Director Rob Retzlaff today issued the following statement in response to the Department of Justice (DOJ)’s final proposed remedies in the United States v. Google LLC case. The remedies include forcing Google to sell its popular Chrome browser; share users’ search data with rivals; and separate…
