Internet Association

The Internet Association
Type Trade association
Location
Key people
 Michael Beckerman; President & CEO
Website internetassociation.org

The Internet Association (IA) is a United States industry trade group based in Washington, D.C., which represents internet companies.[1] It was founded in 2012 by several companies, including Google, Amazon, eBay, and Facebook, and is headed by the president and CEO Michael Beckerman.[2]

IA lobbies Congress, the courts, foreign governments, federal and state agencies, and state and local governments on a range of regulatory issues.[3] The group also publishes economic research on the internet economy.

Group members have included companies such as Airbnb, Dropbox, Etsy, Expedia, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Netflix and PayPal, among others.[4]

History

On July 25, 2012, news outlets reported that several internet companies, including Google, Amazon, eBay and Facebook were founding a new lobbying group. Michael Beckerman was appointed President and CEO of the new Internet Association, set to publicly launch in September 19 of that year.[5][6][7]

Advocacy

The Internet Association is a lobbying group, and reported $1.5 million in political lobbying in the year 2014.[8]

Net Neutrality

The association contested the FCC's initial net neutrality proposal in July 2014, advocating stronger neutrality rules.[9] It later praised the newer rules that surfaced in early 2015. IA also advocated for net neutrality rules to apply equally to wireless and wired internet connections,[10] and applauded the development of net neutrality legislation by the Republican Party in the US Congress, which was developed as an alternative to the FCC reclassification proposal.[11]

The association supported the 2015 Open Internet Order, lobbying for it in the press, Congress and the courts.[12][13] It opposed FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's Restoring Internet Freedom Order.[14]

The association advocates patent reform legislation, to make it more difficult for patent trolls to sue for patent damages.[15]

In 2015, Internet Association president and CEO Michael Beckerman criticized the Seattle authorities for allowing transportation network company drivers to form unions, claiming that it would "undermine the ability of for-hire and ride-sharing companies to operate".[16][17]

It participated in the "Day of Action to Save the Internet" during the summer of 2017. It created a micro-site and video directing Americans to send comments to the FCC opposing the Restoring Internet Freedom Order,[18][19] and stated plans to participate in lawsuits to overturn the Order as an intervenor.[20][21]

Also in 2017, the Internet Association opposed California AB 375, a data privacy bill that would require Internet service providers to obtain customers' permission to collect and sell their browsing history. The organization signed a letter that claimed that the proposal would "lead to recurring pop-ops to consumers that would be desensitizing" and "prevent Internet providers from using information they have long relied upon to prevent cybersecurity attacks and improve their service".[22]

Trade

During negotiations over NAFTA in 2017, the IA supported a strong "safe harbor" protection, similar to the DMCA provision, for cases such as internet firms whose users post pirated content.[23]

Intermediary liability

IA backed intermediary liability protections when opposing FOSTA [24] and supporting Airbnb in its case against the city of San Francisco.[25]

References

  1. ↑ Johnson, Ted (2018-01-05). "Internet Association Will Join Legal Battle to Fight FCC's Net Neutrality Repeal". Variety. Retrieved 2018-07-15.
  2. ↑ "Stealth-Mode DC Lobby Group Internet Association (Google, Amazon, FB, eBay) Names CEO". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2018-07-15.
  3. ↑ Editorial, Reuters. "Google, eBay, Amazon, Facebook back new lobbying group". U.S. Retrieved 2018-07-15.
  4. ↑ "'We are disappointed': Tech firms are speaking up against the FCC's plan to kill net neutrality". Business Insider. Retrieved 2018-07-15.
  5. ↑ Ingrid Lunden (25 Jul 2012). "Stealth-Mode DC Lobby Group Internet Association (Google, Amazon, FB, eBay) Names CEO". Tech Crunch. Retrieved 7 Feb 2015.
  6. ↑ Chris Frates (25 Jul 2012). "Exclusive: New Internet Industry Trade Association to Launch". National Journal. Retrieved 7 Feb 2015.
  7. ↑ Bachman, Katy. "Fast Chat: The Internet Association's Michael Beckerman Head lobbyist for 14 Web giants readies for new Congress By Katy Bachman". AdWeek. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
  8. ↑ "Lobbying Spending Database: Internet Assn". Center for Responsive Politics. 22 Jan 2015. Retrieved 9 Feb 2015.
  9. ↑ Rachel King (14 July 2014). "Internet Association voices concerns about FCC's net neutrality proposal". ZDnet. Retrieved 9 Feb 2015.
  10. ↑ "Internet Companies Take Aim at Wireless Net Neutrality as Debate Rages On". Recode. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  11. ↑ Julian Hattem (15 Jan 2015). "Tech giants cheer GOP lawmakers' net neutrality moves". The Hill. Retrieved 9 Feb 2015.
  12. ↑ Breland, Ali (2017-04-12). "Tech lobby goes to bat on net neutrality". TheHill. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  13. ↑ Center, Electronic Privacy Information. "EPIC - ACA International v. FCC (2015 TCPA Order Litigation)". epic.org. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  14. ↑ "What tech companies are saying about the repeal of net neutrality rules". Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  15. ↑ Eric Hal Schwartz (5 Feb 2015). "Patent Troll Bill Will Get Second Shot Now That Republicans Control Congress". DC Inno. Retrieved 9 Feb 2015.
  16. ↑ Seattle City Council votes to allow Uber and Lyft drivers to unionize - Joe Mullin, Ars Technica, 14 December 2015
  17. ↑ Uber and other drivers want flexibility, not union bosses - Michael Beckerman, Seattle Times, 9 December 2015
  18. ↑ "Here's how the internet's net neutrality day of action unfolded". The Verge. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  19. ↑ "Internet Companies Plan Online Campaign To Keep Net Neutrality Rules". NPR.org. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  20. ↑ "The leading lobbying group for Amazon, Google and other tech giants is joining the battle to restore net neutrality". Recode. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  21. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/brian.d.fung. "Silicon Valley's biggest lobbying group says it will help sue the FCC over net neutrality". Washington Post. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  22. ↑ ISPs claim a privacy law would weaken online security and increase pop-ups - Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, 14 September 2017
  23. ↑ Johnson, Ted (2017-09-01). "Internet Firms Describe Themselves as 'New Faces' of Content Industry in Trade Letter". Variety. Retrieved 2018-08-08.
  24. ↑ "Hill Passes Bill Targeting Online Sex Trafficking". Multichannel. Retrieved 2018-08-08.
  25. ↑ "Internet Association Backs Airbnb Effort To Block San Francisco Law". Retrieved 2018-08-08.
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