Internet Association

Internet Association to shut down at the end of 2021

On December 15, the Internet Association (IA)'s Board of Directors announced that they have decided to close the organization at the end of 2021. "Our industry has undergone tremendous growth and change since the Internet Association was formed almost 10 years ago," says the organization's statement. "IA has made great progress on its mission to foster innovation, promote economic growth, and empower people through a free and open internet.

Jon Berroya Joins Internet Association as General Counsel

Internet Association announced that [former Benton Foundation Headlines writer!] Jon Berroya joined the organization as Senior Vice President and General Counsel to lead IA’s legal and regulatory efforts. Berroya joins IA from the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), where he was Vice President, Legal Affairs. At ESA, Berroya was responsible for managing all aspects of the organization’s efforts to enforce its members’ intellectual property rights and counseled the association on cybersecurity and privacy issues.

Internet Association Answers Chairman Walden's Call to Testify

On behalf of Internet Association, which represents the world’s leading internet companies, I want to take this opportunity to respond to your open call for "Silicon Valley CEOs” to testify before Congress (San Francisco Chronicle, House Committee Seeks Input From Tech CEOs, May 14, 2018). I am happy to testify on behalf of our members to help the committee explore the ways that the internet benefits all Americans.

Internet Association Files Motion To Intervene In Net Neutrality Repeal Case

[Press release] Internet Association filed a motion for leave to intervene in the federal court case against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) challenging the repeal of strong net neutrality protections. The filing is another step in a long line of legal, policy, and advocacy steps that IA and its member companies have taken to preserve net neutrality protections. 

IA’s motion focuses on three key areas:

Internet Association Calls for Senate to Act to Preserve Net Neutrality Protections

Internet Association called for the Senate to preserve a free and open internet with strong, enforceable network neutrality protections. In a letter to the Senate, IA stated its support for the Senate Congressional Review Act resolution to invalidate the Federal Communication Commission’s Restoring Internet Freedom Order and other bipartisan legislation to reinstate strong net neutrality rules.

Refreshing Our Understanding of the Internet Economy

The lag between policy design and the innovation of the internet and its businesses is understandable given the sheer speed with which the internet has moved, but it is time to catch up. Designing internet regulations without properly understanding the sector can seriously undermine the success of its businesses and users for years to come. The Internet Association presents this white paper as a first step in refreshing the dialogue between the industry, policymakers, and other stakeholders to help avert poorly-informed policy decisions. It offers the first attempt to compile economic contribution estimates for the internet, calculates the first estimate of the economic contribution of mobile internet and app services to the economy, and lays out a better approach to conceptualizing the internet within our economic taxonomy. The goal is not to solve these issues in their entirety, but rather start the conversation and reinvigorate it with nuance, analysis, and consideration.

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.