Two prominent House Republicans delivered remarks on Wednesday that cast any domestic attempt to regulate the Internet or Web companies in the same light as attacks on Internet freedom abroad. House telecom subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., and Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., separately compared regulations proposed by Democrats and the Obama administration to attempts by foreign nations to introduce greater government control over the Internet at last month's World Conference on International Telecommunications in Dubai. Walden told reporters that the FCC's net neutrality rules have given fodder to critics that have accused the U.S. of also managing or meddling with Web traffic. Scalise, who has a computer science background and heads the conservative Republican Study Committee caucus, said even well-meaning privacy and security rules would usurp the authority of the private sector and introduce barriers to innovation that would prevent small startups and Web firms from being able to compete.
By casting their anti-regulatory stance in the language of Web freedom, Republicans are hoping to garner the support of technologists and the broader Internet community, which has shown a willingness to work with the GOP when their interests intersect. Some of the tech industry's largest players have historically leaned Democratic, but Silicon Valley has increasingly reached out to conservatives to help prevent the implementation of new privacy and other rules that might hurt their bottom lines. While the groups supporting new Web regulations are largely Democratic, so are the strongest supporters of Web companies, including a host of California lawmakers whose district economies are powered by tech. That leaves the Obama administration and other pro-regulation advocates with few natural allies in the quest to beef up security and increase consumer protections online. For now, Web users have been content to change services or complain bitterly when reports reveal potential misuse of their personal information online. Stakeholders must continue watching that dynamic closely, because until privacy and security concerns supersede the fear of government interference into the Internet, any attempt at passing new online laws will likely face a very difficult road.
Democrats Say Cybersecurity Bill Is a Priority: Senate Democrats introduced a placeholder cybersecurity bill (S 21) on Wednesday, hoping to establish that passing legislation is still a priority in the 113th Congress. The bill's language is expected to change completely as stakeholders continue their debate, but CQ's Tim Starks noted the placeholder bill contains no reference to security standards, a key sticking point that helped prevent the passage of legislation in the 112th Congress. Republicans and industry groups, led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, have steadfastly opposed the introduction of any cybersecurity regulatory regime, even one presented as voluntary by the Obama administration. The House passed an information-sharing bill last year that could potentially draw broader support, if privacy concerns can be addressed. However, the Obama administration has stuck to its insistence that any cybersecurity legislation cover critical infrastructure, possibly to justify programs that are already in place on murky legal ground. The White House has threatened to implement much of its proposed legislation via executive order, but that threat looks increasingly vague as other priorities such as immigration policy and gun control appear to be taking center stage for the president's second term. Google Spends Big Bucks on Lobbying: Google disclosed Wednesday that it spent $16.5 million on lobbying in 2012, up from $9.68 million in 2011. The search giant's outreach in Washington has spiked dramatically since the Federal Trade Commission began its antitrust probe of the company over a year ago. Google has since hired a small army of lobbying firms and dramatically expanded its Washington office, giving the search giant one of the largest lobbying forces in any industry. Google is also active on a number of other policy fronts including privacy regulation, immigration rules, and patent law. Google has been hailed for moving into Washington much quicker than tech predecessors such as Microsoft, and the company's lobbying efforts have been credited for helping it escape serious action from the FTC. Whether that success will inspire other Web companies to devote similar resources to Washington remains to be seen, but Facebook, another growing Internet titan, already boasts a deep policy bench and strong connections to both parties. Facebook spent $4 million on lobbying in 2012, almost three times the $1.3 million it spent in 2011. Experts Differ on Drone Debate: Experts still haven't decided whether the Obama administration's use of drone strikes abroad is effective, modern warfare or an unregulated abuse of military power. Some experts argue the drone strikes are unsustainable, while others argue that the complexity of the ground situation in Pakistan makes the use of drones in that country a poor basis for future policies. There have also been calls for the government to establish official policies under which it uses drone strikes to target and kill terrorist leaders. New Documents: