Internet Association Releases Policy Roadmap For New Administration, Congress

The Internet Association, an organization that represents several large Internet companies including Facebook, Twitter, and Google, released a policy roadmap detailing opportunities for the incoming administration and Congress to enable continued growth and success in the Internet ecosystem, and in turn, the US economy. The letter states, “From its inception, the internet was built on an open architecture that lowers entry barriers, fosters innovation, and empowers choice. The internet represents the best of American innovation, freedom, and ingenuity.” The list of policy positions include:

• Upholding Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act so Internet companies can't get sued easily for things their users say or do online.
• Upholding Section 512 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act so Internet companies can't get easily sued if they quickly remove copyrighted content that users upload (such as infringing photos and YouTube videos).
• Reforming the 30-year-old Electronic Communications Privacy Act -- "Internet users must have the same protections for their inbox as they do for their mailbox," states the association.
• Supporting strong encryption (President-elect Trump called for a boycott of Apple when it refused to comply with an FBI order to unlock an iPhone linked to terror.)
• Reforming Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which lets the National Security Agency collect online communications without a warrant.
• Providing similar copyright protections for companies that operate outside the US.
• Reforming the US Patent Office to deter patent trolls, a term for companies that sue other companies based on patents without actually producing new products.