Internet for Growth Urges Congressional Creators Caucus to Protect Ad-Supported Economy

WASHINGTON, July 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Internet for Growth, a nationwide coalition of small businesses, entrepreneurs, and digital creators, has issued an open letter to the co-chairs of the Congressional Creators Caucus, urging them to support policies that protect the digital advertising ecosystem at the heart of the creator economy.

Representatives Yvette Clarke (D-NY) and Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) recently launched the Caucus to bring the perspectives of online content creators into the public policy arena and educate Members of Congress on the unique challenges they face as the new start-ups of the modern economy. Internet for Growth is calling on lawmakers to advance a national privacy framework, reject harmful legislation like the AMERICA Act and ad taxes, and expand access to AI marketing tools for creators and entrepreneurs.

July 9, 2025

Dear Representatives Clarke and Van Duyne,

On behalf of America’s small businesses, entrepreneurs, and digital creators, Internet for Growth applauds the bipartisan launch of the Congressional Creators Caucus. Your leadership in recognizing creators as essential economic and cultural contributors is both timely and important. As digital innovation continues to drive opportunity, we must protect the media, marketing tools, and ad-supported platforms that creators and small businesses nationwide depend on to grow and thrive.

The creator economy is far more than a passing trend—it’s a powerful and rapidly growing economic force. Analysts estimate its current global value at nearly $200 billion, with projections surpassing a half trillion dollars by 2030. Research from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) shows U.S. employment in the sector has skyrocketed to 1.5 million full-time equivalent jobs, up from just 200,000 a few years ago. Additional IAB findings highlight creators’ rising value to advertisers seeking to connect with audiences online.

In every congressional district, artists, entertainers, and educators are turning content into income—building brands, hiring teams, and reinvesting in their communities. Yet the essential role of digital advertising in this ecosystem is often overlooked. It allows creators to monetize their work and helps small businesses reach new audiences, drive growth, and remain competitive. In fact, the creator economy wouldn’t exist without ad-supported platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Amazon, Spotify, and Pinterest. These platforms not only fuel creative entrepreneurship—they also keep marketing affordable for traditional small businesses and costs lower for consumers.

Overlooking the value of digital advertising—especially the personalized ads and content that people find relevant and engaging—could have unintended consequences for millions of internet users, not just creators and small businesses who depend on effective, affordable online advertising. As the Congressional Creators Caucus champions creators, we urge you to preserve the tools and platforms that turn creativity into economic opportunity:

• Enact a national privacy framework that protects consumers while preserving access to personalized advertising and content. The law should preempt state patchworks, avoid vague definitions, and exclude private rights of action that open the door to costly lawsuits against small businesses.
• Reject proposals like the AMERICA Act that would dismantle ad-supported platforms—eliminating free content for users, vital revenue for creators, and affordable, targeted advertising tools for small businesses.
• Oppose digital advertising taxes that would raise costs for small businesses, reduce access to targeted advertising, and undermine key revenue streams for creators, publishers, and local media. These proposals threaten the affordable, ad-supported services that millions of businesses and consumers depend on every day.
• Champion access to AI-powered advertising tools helping entrepreneurs compete, reach new audiences, and scale their businesses. Smart, responsible use of AI in advertising can reduce barriers to entry, streamline marketing, and fuel innovation across the digital economy.

Too often, the role of digital advertising—especially personalized, data-driven tools—is overlooked in conversations about the creator economy. Yet these tools are essential for helping creators and small businesses reach audiences, build brands, and grow. Proposals that disrupt this ecosystem—through ad taxes, fragmented regulation, or restrictions on data use—could have serious unintended consequences for millions of entrepreneurs, consumers, and the broader economy.

Internet for Growth is proud to represent the small businesses and digital creators who rely on these tools every day. As the Congressional Creators Caucus champions innovation and opportunity, we welcome the chance to work together to protect the ad-supported internet and ensure the creator economy continues to thrive.

Sincerely,

Brendan Thomas
Executive Director, Internet for Growth

CC: Congressional Creators Caucus

About Internet for Growth
Internet for Growth is a nationwide coalition of small businesses, entrepreneurs, and creators who depend on digital advertising, media, and marketing to reach customers, grow revenue, and create jobs. We advocate for policies that preserve access to affordable, data-driven tools powering economic growth in every corner of the country. Follow us on LinkedIn and X.

SOURCE Internet for Growth