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The Internet Association
Formation2012; 12 years ago (2012)
Dissolved2021
TypeTrade association
Location
Key people
Michael Beckerman; Founder and former President & CEO
Websiteinternetassociation.org

The Internet Association (IA) was an American lobbying group based in Washington, D.C., which represented companies involved in the Internet.[1] It was founded in 2012 by Michael Beckerman and several companies, including Google, Amazon, eBay, and Facebook,[2] and was most recently headed by president and CEO K. Dane Snowden before shutting down.

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

Group members had included companies such as Airbnb, Dropbox, Etsy, Expedia, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Netflix and PayPal.[4] Internet Association had offices in Washington, DC; Albany, New York;[5][6] Chicago, Illinois;[7] Seattle, Washington;[8] Sacramento, California;[9][10] and London, UK.[11][12]

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, which was set to publicly launch in September of that year.[13][14][15]

In December 2021, following financial difficulty and waning relevance after companies such as Microsoft and Uber pulled support, as well as key staff departures due to internal dysfunction, Politico reported that the organization planned to dissolve.[16][17]

Advocacy

The Internet Association was a lobbying group and shut down at the end of 2021.

Net neutrality

The association contested the FCC's initial net neutrality proposal in July 2014, advocating stronger neutrality rules.[18] It later praised the newer rules that surfaced in early 2015, advocating for net neutrality rules to apply equally to wireless and wired internet connections,[19] 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.[20]

The association supported the 2015 Open Internet Order, lobbying for it in the press, Congress and the courts.[21][22] It opposed FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's Restoring Internet Freedom Order.[23]

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,[24][25] and stated plans to participate in lawsuits to overturn the Order as an intervenor.[26][27]

Intellectual property

The association advocated patent reform legislation, to make it more difficult for patent trolls to sue for patent damages.[28]

Privacy

In September 2018, Internet Association called for federal privacy legislation and released policy principles for a federal privacy law.[29][30][31]

Sharing economy

In 2015, Internet Association president and CEO Michael Beckerman criticized the Seattle authorities for allowing vehicle for hire drivers to form unions, claiming that it would "undermine the ability of for-hire and ride-sharing companies to operate".[32][33]

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, citing desensitization and security as the basis for their opposition.[34]

IA opposed Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher's "tipping bill", arguing that the market, not the state, should dictate company decisions in the sector.[35] The group similarly opposed an FCC vote on net neutrality in December 2017.[36]

Trade

In 2015, the Internet Association submitted a public comment regarding the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)'s proposal to implement additional export controls regarding intrusion and surveillance software.[37] The public comment was strongly opposed to the BIS proposal on several ground: that the proposed rules lacked an intra-company exception; that the rules were broad, ambiguous, and burdensome; and that they would leading to a chilling effect on information sharing and limiting companies' ability to improve security.[38] These concerns were shared by many cybersecurity researchers and individuals, small and large cybersecurity companies, coalitions and representation groups, and even other U.S. government organizations.

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.[39]

Intermediary liability

IA backed intermediary liability protections when opposing FOSTA[40] and supporting Airbnb in its case against the city of San Francisco.[41] IA also sponsored an advertising campaign in support of Airbnb in Chicago during the company's negotiations with the Emanuel administration regarding additional regulation and taxes.[42]

Global internet governance

In 2016, IA led the coalition behind an amicus brief opposing an attempt to block the transition of internet domain oversight from the U.S. to an international governing body.[43] The group then participated in the IANA transition which privatized the organization’s function at ICANN. The Hill listed it among the “Top 10 Lobbying Victories in 2016.” [44]

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. ^ Weiss, Todd R. (26 July 2012). "Google, Amazon, Facebook Backing new Internet Lobbying Group: Report". eWeek. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  3. ^ Bartz, Diane. "Google, eBay, Amazon, Facebook back new lobbying group". Reuters. 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. ^ Lovett, Kenneth. "Internet Association upping its presence in New York". nydailynews.com. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  6. ^ Stashenko, Joel (February 7, 2017). "Lobbying Group for Airbnb, Uber Opens Office in Albany". New York Law Journal. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  7. ^ Kapos, Shia; Hurst, Adrienne. "5 THINGS TO WATCH this Election Day — If there's NO CLEAR WINNER — Is MUSK's tunnel toast?". POLITICO. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  8. ^ "Internet Association, a powerful Silicon Valley lobby, is opening an office in Seattle". GeekWire. 2017-11-30. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  9. ^ Young, Allen (19 March 2014). "Internet lobbyist lands in Sacramento". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  10. ^ Rosenhall, Laurel (2015-09-14). "Democrats torn between shiny new ventures and old-school allies". CALmatters. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  11. ^ "Google, eBay, Amazon, Facebook back new lobbying group". Reuters. 2012-07-25. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  12. ^ Boland, Hannah (2018-11-14). "Silicon Valley lobbyist launches UK office as regulation threat grows". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  13. ^ Ingrid Lunden (25 Jul 2012). "Stealth-Mode DC Lobby Group Internet Association (Google, Amazon, FB, eBay) Names CEO". Tech Crunch. Retrieved 7 Feb 2015.
  14. ^ Chris Frates (25 Jul 2012). "Exclusive: New Internet Industry Trade Association to Launch". National Journal. Retrieved 7 Feb 2015.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ Emily Birnbaum (14 December 2021). "Silicon Valley's voice in Washington dissolves". Politico. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
  17. ^ "CTRL-ALT-Delete? The internet industry's D.C. Powerhouse vanishes".
  18. ^ Rachel King (14 July 2014). "Internet Association voices concerns about FCC's net neutrality proposal". ZDnet. Retrieved 9 Feb 2015.
  19. ^ "Internet Companies Take Aim at Wireless Net Neutrality as Debate Rages On". Recode. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  20. ^ Julian Hattem (15 Jan 2015). "Tech giants cheer GOP lawmakers' net neutrality moves". The Hill. Retrieved 9 Feb 2015.
  21. ^ Breland, Ali (2017-04-12). "Tech lobby goes to bat on net neutrality". The Hill. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  22. ^ "EPIC - ACA International v. FCC (2015 TCPA Order Litigation)". epic.org. Electronic Privacy Information Center. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  23. ^ "What tech companies are saying about the repeal of net neutrality rules". Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  24. ^ "Here's how the internet's net neutrality day of action unfolded". The Verge. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  25. ^ "Internet Companies Plan Online Campaign To Keep Net Neutrality Rules". NPR. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  26. ^ "The leading lobbying group for Amazon, Google and other tech giants is joining the battle to restore net neutrality". Recode. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  27. ^ "Silicon Valley's biggest lobbying group says it will help sue the FCC over net neutrality". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  28. ^ Eric Hal Schwartz (5 Feb 2015). "Patent Troll Bill Will Get Second Shot Now That Republicans Control Congress". DC Inno. Retrieved 9 Feb 2015.
  29. ^ "Tech groups move to shape privacy debate". Axios. 13 September 2018. Retrieved 2018-12-16.
  30. ^ CNBC (2018-09-12). "Internet group backs 'national' data privacy approach". www.cnbc.com. Retrieved 2018-12-16.
  31. ^ Nix, Naomi; Brody, Ben (12 September 2018). "More Tech Groups Join Calls to Give Consumers Power Over Data". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2018-12-16.
  32. ^ Seattle City Council votes to allow Uber and Lyft drivers to unionize - Joe Mullin, Ars Technica, 14 December 2015
  33. ^ Uber and other drivers want flexibility, not union bosses - Michael Beckerman, Seattle Times, 9 December 2015
  34. ^ ISPs claim a privacy law would weaken online security and increase pop-ups - Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, 14 September 2017
  35. ^ "California gives gig workers a break — but just a little one". Daily Breeze. 2017-07-01. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
  36. ^ "Merger mania continues with Disney and Fox". POLITICO. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
  37. ^ "Regulations.gov". www.regulations.gov. Retrieved 2023-07-25.
  38. ^ "Regulations.gov". www.regulations.gov. Retrieved 2023-07-25.
  39. ^ Johnson, Ted (2017-09-01). "Internet Firms Describe Themselves as 'New Faces' of Content Industry in Trade Letter". Variety. Retrieved 2018-08-08.
  40. ^ "Hill Passes Bill Targeting Online Sex Trafficking". Multichannel. Retrieved 2018-08-08.
  41. ^ "Internet Association Backs Airbnb Effort To Block San Francisco Law". Retrieved 2018-08-08.
  42. ^ "Emanuel administration threatens to cut off talks with Airbnb". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on 2018-11-07. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
  43. ^ Segal, Cheryl (2016-09-30). "Tech groups file court brief opposing internet transition suit". The Hill. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
  44. ^ Davis, John (2016-12-14). "Top 10 lobbying victories of 2016". The Hill. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
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