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Facebook, Google, eBay and Amazon join US lobby group | Facebook, Google, eBay and Amazon join US lobby group |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Google, Facebook, Amazon and eBay are joining forces to create a powerful pro-internet lobbying group in the US. | 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. | 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. | 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 trying to influence lawmakers last year. | |
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Google spent $3.9m (£2.5m) on lobbying between April and June of 2012. In the same time frame Facebook spent $960,000. | |
The group would "educate" lawmakers about the internet, said new president Michael Beckerman. | 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. | 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. | "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 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. | 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. | 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. | Online protests reached a head in January with sites such as Wikipedia temporarily shutting down. Both bills are currently on hold. |