Google on track to outspend banks, big tobacco in lobbying | Hacker News Reader

Google on track to outspend banks, big tobacco in lobbying

arstechnica.com

18 pointsSuraj-Sun7 comments

can anyone tell us if any of google's lobbying prevented the web from being less free and censored? do they support CISPA which is using cyber security as an excuse to stifle free speech on facebook twitter and others?

It will definitely be interesting to monitor how Google will continue outspending on lobbying....for good and bad of internet, free speech, etc

Nobody knows yet - they haven't taken a public stance on CISPA.

http://thenextweb.com/insider/2012/04/23/google-admits-to-lo...

Personally I'd be shocked if they supported it..

They definitely have an incentive to keep everything free and open which allows for more data collection and more ads.

I wonder if any of the lobbying has an impact on online privacy.

The article claims that $4M (80%) of this money was spent lobbying against SOPA and PIPA, which I would qualify as protecting freedom on the web.

This ZDNet article claims that, "Google helped with CISPA, joins Cybersecurity Theatre," and "CISPA’s author Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) has bragged that Google had, in fact, quietly worked with the bill’s authors behind the scenes."

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/violetblue/google-helped-with-cisp...

The source of the ZDNet article is a bit less sensational sounding:

http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/221977-g...

  >"They've been helpful and supportive of trying to find the right language in the bill," Rogers said, adding that Google wants to protect consumers' privacy and prevent regulation of the Internet.

It makes sense that they'd try to get in during the drafting phase instead of being on the outside looking in, ala SOPA.

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