Google Moves to Influence Government
From the Wall Street Journal editorial page on the removal of Maria Pallante as the U.S. register of copyrights, a division of the Library of Congress:
There is some circumstantial evidence that Google’s lobbying influence was brought to bear in removing Ms. Pallante, though both Google and Ms. Pallante declined to talk to us. Google’s business model is essentially making money off other people’s content, and the company’s strategy has been to infringe on copyrighted material like books and fight it out later in court. The copyright office administers laws that protect owners.
Digital Music News reports:
According to Artist Rights Watch ... there’s a bigger shadow lurking behind this sudden dismissal. Pallante defended both creators and musicians, advocating fair treatment from media companies. Google, however, is known for sending top lobbyists to the federal government.
A chart on the Artist Rights Watch website shows that 197 jobs have transitioned from the federal government to Google. On the flip side, Google has sent 61 jobs to be filled at the federal government. Well-known Google lobbyist Johanna Shelton has visited the White House under Obama 128 times, making her the top tech lobbyist to visit Obama’s administration the most.
In an article headlined "Googolopoly -- Power Grab: Is Google Trying to End Copyrights Once and For All?" HeatStreet reports on Google's behind-the-scenes efforts to push its new set-top box and revolutionize how Americans watch television:
Google appears to have already placed friendly officials high places, while using its sway with academics to make its case with the FCC that your cable — and cable’s copyrights — should be free.
Starting in 2016, Google-related appointees began appearing across the Obama Administration. Carla Hayden, who recently took over at the Library of Congress, was President of the American Library Association, a huge recipient of Google funding (largely because of Google’s digital library programs).
The Register of Britain reports that controversial American government moves "have all resulted in proposals or decisions that advanced the business interests of Silicon Valley’s biggest companies":
For example, after an investigation of Google for anti-competitive practices, FTC [Federal Trade Commission] staff concluded there was sufficient evidence to indict -- but the Obama-appointed trade commissioners abandoned this for a voluntary deal instead.
The FCC, run by former industry lobbyist and major Obama fundraiser Tom Wheeler, has introduced a flood of measures that benefit huge web companies and constrain telcos, the most significant of which is Title II reclassification, which gives the bureaucrats wide-ranging authority over internet practices and private contracts. The DoJ was found to have kept Obama’s office closely involved on antitrust investigations -- which has never happened before.
