Tech Lobbying 101: Experts Cover The Basics

A handful of prominent technology experts got together Tuesday morning to provide congressional staffers with some insight into their industry's varied policy interests and legislative priorities. Speakers noted that the sector is often puzzling to legislators and regulators because it is complex and fast-moving and because IT is so diversified. Stakeholders rarely speak with one voice, they said. Getting beyond buzzwords like innovation, openness, jobs, or economic growth is sometimes difficult but when you peel back the rhetoric, most policy differences among IT companies are the result of competing business models. Examples discussed at the Association for Competitive Technology event included network neutrality, privacy and tech standards.