Will The Internet Lobby Ignite Debate Over Americans With Disabilities Act?

In July of 1990, then-President George H. W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which made it illegal to discriminate against those with a disability. The law was intended to create civil rights law protections for people with disabilities and allow them to be updated in terms of scientific and medical research and […]

CISPA Lobbying and Protecting Privacy in the age of Facebook, Twitter, Cyber Threats and Malware

SOPA and PIPA are not the only online privacy debates on Capitol Hill. Last November, a billed aimed at protecting against cyber threats, called Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) was introduced. Since its introduction, CISPA has come under fire for violating boundaries of internet privacy and neutrality. It is still unclear if President […]

The Internet World Storms Washington

This Congress’s high-profile debate on legislation aimed at combating online piracy unleashed a flood of lobbying spending and maneuvering that brought to light the powerful forces of the Internet world. Google, Yahoo, Wired.com and many other Internet-related businesses achieved what some considered a hard earned — and high priced — coup against the powerful entertainment […]

Google Hires Former Rep. Susan Molinari as VP of Public Policy and Government Relations

Google has been making noise in the lobbying world.  Back in January, Anna Palmer of Politico wrote that Google was looking to hire a former Member as its chief Lobbyist.   As we discussed a few weeks ago, Google’s lobby expenditures shot up dramatically in 2011. Today, Google announced that they had hired Former Rep. Susan […]

Facebook Lobbyists – All About Connections

Facebook is making a  lot of friends on Wall Street.  But what about D.C.?  Along with their own lobbying staff, Facebook paid 3 registered lobbying firms to lobby the federal government on  its behalf in 2011.   All told, 22 registered lobbyists lobbied on behalf of Facebook in 2011.  A look at the work histories of these lobbyists shows they are very […]

Google Lobby Tab Highest Ever

Sometimes a chart speaks volumes. Google’s lobby expenditures shot up dramatically in 2011. The company’s most recent report shows fourth-quarter spending of $3.76 million, its largest amount yet. Altogether, it spent nearly $9.7 million in 2011. Yet our bar graph doesn’t tell the whole story. Web companies won big last month in their successful effort […]

Markham Erickson – The Man Fighting for the Internet’s Freedom

Wednesday’s Internet “blackout” by many leading Internet companies — including Google, Wikipedia, and Wired.com, among others — brought widespread public attention to online piracy legislation being considered on Capitol Hill and satisfaction to at least one leading lobbyist as it appeared to cause a further scramble among lawmakers in both the House and Senate. “We’re […]

Chinese firm, eyeing Yahoo, hires U.S. lobby shop

Duberstein Group has been hired by a Chinese internet company exploring a purchase bid for Yahoo Inc. The registration was filed last week by the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, on behalf of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. Lobbyists representing the company include Kenneth M. Duberstein, former chief of staff to Ronald Reagan and Daniel Meyer, a […]

Quarter Snapshot: Change Coming to Yahoo?

Speculation around a possible sale of Yahoo has been rampant in recent weeks.  Additionally, ABC News and Yahoo recently announced that they are teaming up and launching a strategic online news alliance.  Here is a quick look at Yahoo’s recent lobbying activity. Yahoo Lobbying 2011 Q3 Spent $620,000 on its lobbying activity Hired 4 outside […]