The i2Coalition Public Policy Working Group is responsible for determining the specific responses for the i2Coalition in regards to global policy issues that are important to the Internet’s infrastructure. Recent achievements center around Net Neutrality and surveillance reform, achieved through engagement with the FCC and in support of the USA FREEDOM Act in the U.S., respectively. The Working Group is currently focusing attention on a number of important issues including patent troll reform.
The i2Coalition engages in policy matters in accordance with its General Mission Statement and meets regularly to discuss issues that arise that fall within our scope. Policy Group members take an active role in reviewing policy and writing briefs on behalf of i2Coalition that support the industry’s goals. The i2Coalition believes that an open and free Internet drives economic growth and enhances the lives of people around the globe. As an organization, we promote policies that foster continued development and expansion of the Internet.
Recent Public Policy Working Group projects include:
- We participate in the Digital Due Process Coalition (DDP) and delivered key Congressional sponsorships in a collective fight to reform the Electronics Communications Privacy Act (ECPA).
- We provided comments on the importance of an open Internet to maintain the continued growth of the cloud to the FCC in response to its Net Neutrality proposal.
- We led an aggressive advocacy campaign in five key cities to reform the patent system and to curb the patent troll litigation issues that devastate our industry.
- We were leaders in a coalition that helped drive core support for the USA FREEDOM Act, the largest reduction of U.S. surveillance authority in a generation, which passed in early 2015.
- We actively speak out against the expansion of Internet surveillance worldwide, including being a voice against Bill C-51 in Canada.
- We actively engage in the debate on the role of encryption in the digital economy.
- We submitted an amicus brief in the important Microsoft Ireland email privacy case.
- We’ve taken an important role in educating U.S. lawmakers on the IANA transition as part of our focus on the DOTCOM Act.
- We provided strategic counsel and comments on the proposed NIST cybersecurity framework.
Recent Updates On US Policy
New Allies Join ECPA Reform Efforts
Reforming the outdated Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) is one of our top policy priorities. The i2Coalition and allies in our industry and in Washington have worked for continuous change. Fortunately, we are now one step closer to needed reform. The Yoder-Polis Email Privacy Act, legislation currently in play to update the antiquated law, recently […]
Net Neutrality and Web Hosting
The following is commentary by i2Coalition Chairman Christian Dawson and originally appeared on Site5 Blog. My name is Christian Dawson and in addition to heading up operations at a web hosting company myself, I am Chairman and co-founder of the Internet Infrastructure Coalition, or i2Coalition. My friends at Site5 asked me to guest blog for […]
i2Coalition Disappointed Patent Reform Removed from Senate Agenda
The i2Coalition is deeply disappointed that patent reform legislation has been removed from the Senate Judiciary Committee agenda. Patent trolls are a real and increasingly growing problem for innovators in the United States, costing companies $29 billion in resources and revenue in 2011 alone. The lack of action by the Senate will only embolden trolls […]
DOTCOM Act Could Slow IANA Transition Process
The House Energy & Commerce Committee’s vote to recommend the DOTCOM Act to the full House for approval has the potential of slowing the transition of the IANA function to the global multistakeholder community. The i2Coalition believes that this transition, if given the opportunity to be handled properly by the multistakeholder community unencumbered by U.S. […]