Facebook gets gradually political problems. Not only in Europe but at home in America. How USA Today reported , Facebook is building out its representative office in Washington, therefore, investing more in its policy and regulatory departments ( "Facebook changes its status lobbying in Washington" ).
It repeated an old pattern: high-tech companies often only seen relatively late that they themselves with the political framework must address. Microsoft and Google delivered later in legal battles with the state before they proactively invested in lobbying and political public relations and public affairs strategies developed. Facebook does now forced to do the same - with the company's strategic mistake by Microsoft, Google & Co want to avoid.
In the U.S., increases the policy massively in the regulation of consumer and data protection, Internet governance, network neutrality and other public policy issues for the IT markets, and this is for the young billion dollar business of social media industry both opportunity and threat.
Facebook may already be planning for 2012 IPO. The crazy billions that the company could be worth dominated the headlines in recent days. It will be crucial for investors but, as the regulatory environment of the future, to be continued for the Facebook business model and expand. There is considerable uncertainty.
Both the Congress, the Economic Ministry and the regulatory Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are planning new rules for the consumer and data protection (eg "do-not-track" legislation to restrict the trade of the data tracks of the customer). The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), meanwhile, observed a critical trade in securities of IT companies.
The Facebook's office in Washington
USA Today notes that has Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg a political "charm offensive" launched and at the same time expanding the Washington office. Recently, the seventh person has been accepted in the representative office, the office is looking for a more policy experts and relate in April a new home with 740 square meters of office space.
Facebook is now seven years old. The bad example Microsoft, which has long ignored the policy, Facebook made to a relatively early stage in the political relations to invest.
maintains an office in Washington Facebook since 2007. the first year and a half bestandt the crew of a single lobbyist, Adam Conner, in his early twenties is not just a political veteran. The higher-level lobbying by the Privacy Commissioner (Chief Privacy Officer) Chris Kelly does in the corporate office, who was on leave in 2010 but for the election campaign in California: Kelly was Minister of Justice (Attorney General) to be subject, however, even in the primaries the Democratic Party. is led today by the representative
Marne Levine, Vice President of Global Public Policy. She came last June to Facebook and was previously associate with Obama's economic adviser Larry Summers.
"We have to be present and define ourselves before someone else does" cited the Journal of Facebook employees Tim Sparapani, who until 2009 data protection expert at the civil rights organization, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). "It is clear that we must be part of the new thinking in Washington, and that early in the maturation process of the company."
respect held by the new regulatory ideas, the company is still covered. "We had not yet been clearly position for or against something," Sparapani is quoted as saying. Most bills are "still not ripe. "" We are here to share our views, to clarify long-term critical issues and to inform. "is clear only that the politicians and officials, quite familiar with the Facebook technology are capable of understanding them and for very interest.
For Sparapani self-interested, the media already. The Washington Post of Personnel dedicated in 2009 an article ( "Facebook Taps account Hawk as a lobbyist" ).
Facebook recruited with the ACLU privacy advocates an opponent of the company. Sparapani, ten years older than Facebook founder Zuckerberg was a very prominent critic of the policy, a "Champion the privacy of consumers. ", according to the paper, the civil rights lay with the most important private and public companies, airports to hospitals that he is seen after the break now from NGOs and critical politicians in particular is Sparapani clear:" I was one of them - I know that they issue me a free ride "
A colleague agrees:". We will be tough against Tim. Sparapanis position in the Internet company was "a litmus test for Facebook. He understands the business of data collection and is very concerned about this. With his background is certainly not without Tim crisis of conscience any techniques approve of, that Facebook unfairly data used and disclose. "
Even in the U.S. states Facebook is politically active. As a California Youth and data protection law for social media was on the agenda, hired Facebook to a lobbyist and in bringing the bill to case half ( USA Today , "Facebook lobbied to kill Bill Aimed at social media" )
Public pressure is rising -. Internet companies prepare politically
Some see Facebook's new interest in policy in response to massive pressure from politicians and the public. "They thought there was for them no need for lobbying, "cited USA Today consumer protection experts Justin Brook man of the NGO Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) ." Then she got in trouble, were dragged from angry politicians, and were threatened in actions ".
Other Internet companies have a political presence in the U.S. capital increase massively, so USA Today .
Six years ago, Google had no presence yet in Washington, today the company employs in the U.S. capital of 25 employees. They are almost as many as in Microsoft Office (26), which opened in 1998. 2010 Google, according to lobbying registration was $ 4,030,000 for lobbying in 2005, there were only $ 260,000.
the IT companies, only the software giant Oracle was more out (5.1 million dollars). The ten biggest IT companies in Silicon Valley increased its lobbying expenditures of 12.4 million dollars in 2005 to 26.4 million in the year 2009. According to the public database of NGOs OpenSecrets.org Center for Responsive Politics is the recognized IT-sector in 2010 around 87 million dollars for lobbying expenses on the federal level have a lobbying giant. However, these budgets were still significantly smaller than that of the pharmaceutical, electronics and financial industries.
The lobby register reveals that Facebook in the first nine Months of the year 2010, approximately 221 000 U.S. dollars for its capital spending representation. Not much, but at least 30 percent more than a year earlier 2009th By comparison, Google spent the first three quarters of 2010, almost $ 4 million.
See also the PAM Blog Posts:
- "USA: Google, Facebook, eBay, Amazon and young IT companies intensify lobbying
- " permanent visitors "in Google
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