Computer & Communications Industry Association

Computer and Communications Industry Association
Formation 1972
Purpose Lobbying

The Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) is an advocacy organization based in Washington, DC which represents the computer, Internet, information technology, and telecommunications industries. According to their site, CCIA "promotes open markets, open systems, open networks, and full, fair, and open competition."[1] Established in 1972, CCIA was active in anti-trust cases involving IBM, AT&T and Microsoft, and lobbied for net neutrality and patent reform. CCIA released a study it commissioned by an MIT professor, which analyzed the cost of patent trolls to the economy.[2]

Membership

CCIA members include corporations such as Dish Network, eBay, Facebook, Google, Intuit, LightSquared, Microsoft, nVidia, Sprint Nextel, and Yahoo.

Issues

Intellectual property

The group has lobbied on Internet freedom issues like the Stop Online Piracy Act and PROTECT IP Act,[3] testified on Internet censorship as a human rights and trade issue[4] and also lobbied on privacy issues including government surveillance by the US National Security Agency[5] CCIA has also lobbied for patent litigation reform, including the Innovation Act, and provides the website Patent Progress,[6] which is dedicated to patent issues.

Taxes

CCIA supports prohibiting the United States Internal Revenue Service from both collecting and preparing tax declarations for citizens. This effort also supports Intuit's TurboTax software.[7] The tech trade association has warned about court rulings such as Europe's right to be forgotten, which some, including CCIA Vice President James Waterworth in Brussels, creates a frightening ability for any EU citizen to "disappear" web search results. In a New York Times article, which also ran on CNBC, Waterworth said, "This ruling opens the door to large-scale private censorship in Europe. While the ruling likely means to offer protections, our concern is it could also be misused by politicians or others with something to hide."

Privacy

CCIA has also been an outspoken critic of government surveillance without checks and balances. CCIA CEO Ed Black testified against FISA renewal before the Senate in 2007, saying better checks and balances were needed, and he testified again in 2013 after the Snowden revelations about the scope of NSA surveillance. In a Washington Diplomat article looking at the impact of the leaks one year later, Black expressed optimism that people will be better able to protect themselves in the future and he has called on Congress to pass legislation to allow companies to disclose the size and scope of government requests and for the government to end mass bulk data collection.

References

  1. ↑ "CCIA - Computer and Communications Industry Association". Official web site. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
  2. ↑ http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/06/new-study-suggests-patent-trolls-really-are-killing-startups/
  3. ↑ Edward J. Black (January 30, 2012). "Content, Copyright & The Internet — The Reality". Forbes. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Tech Groups Propose Changes To TPP To Promote Internet Freedom" by Sean Flynn, Infojustice, March 4, 2012
  5. ↑ Brian M. Wolfe (July 18, 2013). "Tech Companies Want Greater Transparency After NSA Fiasco". App Advice. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Patent Progress". Retrieved May 27, 2015.
  7. ↑ How The Maker Of TurboTax Fought Free, Simple Tax Filing, by Liz Day, ProPublica and NPR, 26 March 2013
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