Last week, two Internet regulation bills on the fast track to becoming law were stopped in less than 24 hours after tech-savvy netizens erupted in protest through social media and tech blogs. The instant and overwhelming force of the same community that overturned the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) is starting to gel into a recognizable political lobby. SOPA "was clearly a watershed moment," says Matt Lira, the digital director for House Majority Leader, Eric Cantor, "Just as the people who comprised that community kind of awoke to new ways to engage with Congress, I think Congress, as a whole awoke to the fact this audience is out there." As a result of having its voice heard in government, this new digital, loosely organized lobby, which quickly bands together and dissipates like a flash mob around Internet-related policy issues, is becoming a political force.
Sunday 15 July 2012
Two Victories in One Week, The Internet Flash Lobby Becomes A Political Force
Last week, two Internet regulation bills on the fast track to becoming law were stopped in less than 24 hours after tech-savvy netizens erupted in protest through social media and tech blogs. The instant and overwhelming force of the same community that overturned the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) is starting to gel into a recognizable political lobby. SOPA "was clearly a watershed moment," says Matt Lira, the digital director for House Majority Leader, Eric Cantor, "Just as the people who comprised that community kind of awoke to new ways to engage with Congress, I think Congress, as a whole awoke to the fact this audience is out there." As a result of having its voice heard in government, this new digital, loosely organized lobby, which quickly bands together and dissipates like a flash mob around Internet-related policy issues, is becoming a political force.
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