A seat at the table

The top lobbyist for the Internet industry says it’s his job to prevent a repeat of the 2012 Internet blackout protest over anti-piracy legislation. That protest -- which included popular websites Google, Wikipedia and Reddit -- was one of the most successful political advocacy efforts in history. In one day, the blackout forced lawmakers to drop legislation backed by the entertainment industry that, only a few weeks earlier, had seemed set to sail through Congress. But Michael Beckerman, the CEO of the newly formed Internet Association, said the protest was only necessary because the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act posed such serious threats to the Internet. It’s his job, he explained, to convince lawmakers not to even consider similar legislation in the future.