[x-pubpol] Facebook, Google, eBay and Amazon join US lobby group

[Joly MacFie]

Google, Facebook, Amazon and eBay are joining forces to create a powerful
pro-internet lobbying group in the US.

The Internet Association, as the group will be known, will launch in
September and operate out of Washington, handling political and regulatory
issues.

Both Google and Facebook currently spend large amounts of money on
political lobbying.

Lobbying is a big industry in the US, with an estimated $3.3bn
spent<http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/index.php> trying
to influence lawmakers last year.

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-18996319

Google, Facebook, Amazon and eBay are joining forces to create a powerful
pro-internet lobbying group in the US.

The Internet Association, as the group will be known, will launch in
September and operate out of Washington, handling political and regulatory
issues.

Both Google and Facebook currently spend large amounts of money on
political lobbying.

Lobbying is a big industry in the US, with an estimated $3.3bn
spent<http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/index.php> trying
to influence lawmakers last year.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Google has spent $5.4m
(£3.4m) on lobbying so far in 2012. In the same time frame Facebook spent
$650,000.

The group would "educate" lawmakers about the internet, said new president
Michael Beckerman.

Mr Beckerman is a former adviser to the chairman of the House of
Representatives Energy And Commerce Committee.

"We want to educate [lawmakers] about the impact of the internet in their
congressional districts," he said.

The full list of companies joining the group and the issues they would
focus on would be announced in September, he added.

The issues net firms lobby on range from immigration reform - to make it
easier to hire foreign engineers, taxes, privacy and cybersecurity.

Legislation such as the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act drew
huge criticism from the industry, with firms saying the plans undermined
the freedom of the internet.

Online protests reached a head in January with sites such as Wikipedia
temporarily shutting down. Both bills are currently on hold.

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