Public Policy Blog
Updates on technology policy issues
Looking back, looking forward
Monday, December 29, 2008
Posted by Alan Davidson, Director, Public Policy and Government Affairs
It's hard to believe that another spectacular year is already coming to a close.
It seems like just yesterday I was
waxing nostalgic
about our achievements in 2007.
Here are just a few highlights from 2008:
There's no place like home
When I first joined Google in 2005, we didn't have a permanent office in D.C., which made for a quasi-nomadic lifestyle. So take it from me, it was great to welcome everyone to the
grand opening
of our permanent Washington office in January. Since then we've welcomed literally thousands of guests - from
state finalists and regional Doodle4Google winners
to
Hispanic College Fund scholars
- for dozens of events large and small. (Not to be outdone, the
Federal division
of Google's Enterprise Sales group moved into their own
new office in nearby Reston, VA
this year.)
Our new space has been the perfect place to host "Google D.C. Talks," our series of panel discussions on technology policy for the broader Washington community. Topics have ranged from the
state of the Internet economy
to
digital natives
, and in November we launched a three-part series of "Talks" focusing on the 2009 technology policy agenda.
Keeping busy at the FCC
It was a busy year at the Federal Communications Commission. In March the FCC announced the results of its
700 MHZ spectrum auction
. Google didn't pick up any spectrum licenses, but our bidding helped drive the auction past the $4.6 billion reserve price, triggering two key
openness conditions
: open access and open devices. Then in November, the
FCC voted 5-0
to open up the "
white spaces
" spectrum for wireless broadband service for the public, paving the way for affordable, high-speed wireless Internet across the United States - in other words, "
Wi-Fi on steroids
."
In a very short time the wireless world has transformed from a tightly closed ecosystem to one that's becoming more and more open. It's been gratifying to see the progress that has been made, and exciting to think about the work that still needs to be done.
The Google/YouTube election
The Internet emerged as a clear winner in this year's presidential election, with
Google
and
YouTube
leading the way. Millions of Americans watched thousands of videos of
Barack Obama
and
John McCain
on YouTube. They used Google's
Voter Info site
to find out where to vote, how to register, and how to contact local election officials. Google and YouTube were out in force at the
Republican National Convention
and
Democratic National Convention
, and on Election Day, users flocked to
Google Maps
as real-time election results rolled in.
President-elect Obama has pledged to use the Web as a major communications tool -- he's already broadcasting his weekly radio address on
YouTube
. It will be interesting to watch how he'll use the Internet to communicate with citizens once he takes office.
Yahoo ads deal
There were disappointments for us this year, too. In June we announced a nonexclusive
ads deal
that would have allowed Yahoo to show more relevant ads for searches that currently generate few or no advertisements. We spent a lot of time explaining the benefits of the deal, but it became clear that government regulators and certain advertisers still had concerns. Rather than become distracted by a protracted legal battle, we decided to
end the agreement
in November and
instead focus on continuing to deliver innovative products for our users.
Googlers on the Hill
Last but not least, co-founder Larry Page and CEO Eric Schmidt spent some quality time in D.C. this year. Larry hit Capitol Hill in
May
and
September
to push for "white spaces," and in
November
Eric talked about the economy and clean energy. And several Googlers testified before Congress this year on issues like small business, privacy, free expression, competition, and energy efficiency:
David Fischer
,
Jane Horvath
,
Nicole Wong
,
David Drummond
, and
Dan Reicher
.
As 2008 made clear, the world of tech policy is fast-paced and constantly evolving. With a new President and Congress coming to Washington in 2009, it's an exciting time to be working on these issues.
From our team to all of you, happy holidays and warm wishes for the new year.
Net neutrality and the benefits of caching
Monday, December 15, 2008
Posted by Richard Whitt, Washington Telecom and Media Counsel
One of the first posts I wrote for this blog last summer
tried to define
what we at Google mean when we talk about the concept of net neutrality.
Broadband providers -- the on-ramps to the Internet -- should not be allowed to prioritize traffic based on the source, ownership or destination of the content. As I noted in that post, broadband providers should have the flexibility to employ network upgrades, such as
edge caching
. However, they shouldn't be able to leverage their unilateral control over consumers' broadband connections to hamper user choice, competition, and innovation.
Our commitment to that principle of net neutrality remains as strong as ever.
Some critics have questioned whether improving Web performance through edge caching -- temporary storage of frequently accessed data on servers that are located close to end users -- violates the concept of network neutrality. As I said
last summer
, this myth -- which unfortunately underlies a
confused story in Monday's
Wall Street Journal
-- is based on a misunderstanding of the way in which the open Internet works.
Edge caching
is a common practice used by ISPs and application and content providers in order to improve the end user experience. Companies like
Akamai
,
Limelight
, and
Amazon's Cloudfront
provide local caching services, and broadband providers typically utilize caching as part of what are known as content distribution networks (CDNs). Google and many other Internet companies also deploy servers of their own around the world.
By bringing YouTube videos and other content physically closer to end users, site operators can improve page load times for videos and Web pages. In addition, these solutions help broadband providers by minimizing the need to send traffic outside of their networks and reducing congestion on the Internet's backbones. In fact, caching represents one type of innovative network practice encouraged by the open Internet.
Google has offered to "colocate" caching servers within broadband providers' own facilities; this reduces the provider's bandwidth costs since the same video wouldn't have to be transmitted multiple times.
We've always said that broadband providers can engage in activities like colocation and caching, so long as they do so on a non-discriminatory basis.
All of Google's colocation agreements with ISPs -- which we've done through projects called OpenEdge and
Google Global Cache
-- are non-exclusive, meaning any other entity could employ similar arrangements.
Also, none of them require (or encourage) that Google traffic be treated with higher priority than other traffic.
In contrast, if broadband providers were to leverage their unilateral control over consumers' connections and offer colocation or caching services in an anti-competitive fashion, that would threaten the open Internet and the innovation it enables.
Despite the hyperbolic tone and confused claims in Monday's
Journal
story, I want to be perfectly clear about one thing: Google remains strongly committed to the principle of net neutrality, and we will continue to work with policymakers in the years ahead to keep the Internet free and open.
P.S.:
The
Journal
story also quoted me as characterizing President-elect Obama's net neutrality policies as "much less specific than they were before." For what it's worth, I don't recall making such a comment, and it seems especially odd given that President-elect Obama's supportive stance on network neutrality hasn't changed at all.
Update:
Larry Lessig
,
Save the Internet
,
Public Knowledge
,
David Isenberg
,
Wired
and others all found fault with today's piece too.
Eric Schmidt talks technology and the economy on "Meet the Press"
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Posted by Dan Martin, Global Communications and Public Affairs
What role can technology play in generating economic growth and creating jobs?
This morning Eric Schmidt, our CEO, addressed that very question on NBC's "
Meet the Press
." He was joined by Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, and Wal-Mart President & CEO Lee Scott for a roundtable discussion on the state of the economy.
For those of you who missed it, check out the video (the segment begins at 20:35):
Safety, education, and empowerment on YouTube
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Posted by The YouTube Team
(Cross-posted from
YouTube Blog
)
We've always been committed to providing you the tools to have the best possible YouTube experience. Educating parents, teens, and families on how to stay safe on our site is a critical part of that commitment, so we can't think of a more appropriate place to introduce our new
Abuse and Safety Center
than at the Family Online Safety Institute (
FOSI
) conference in Washington, D.C., today.
The center features straightforward safety tips and multimedia resources from experts and prominent safety organizations. We are empowering people with the information and tools they need to help them deal with issues like cyberbullying, online harassment, and hateful content.
The new center also makes it easier for you to find our
Help and Safety Tool
, which lets you report concerns to us and gives you granular control over your channel, like the option of blocking comments from specific users or disabling the video comments feature on specific videos.
The Abuse and Safety Center is easy to find. Just look at the bottom of any YouTube page and click on the link titled "Abuse and Safety Center". From phishing scams to just learning what it means to be a good YouTube citizen, you'll find the information you need.
Finally, check out FOSI's meeting
page
for more information about our presence at the conference, where Shantal Rands from Google's legal team will receive a FOSI Award for Outstanding Achievement in advancing the goal of a safer Internet. Plus, Andrew McLaughlin, Google's Director of Global Policy & Government Affairs, is speaking about "Protecting Kids and Free Speech Online," and YouTube's Policy Analyst Micah Schaffer will address online safety in social media.
We'll continue to add new information and features to the center, so check back often.
Participate in Friday's Google D.C. Talk
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Posted by Galen Panger, Global Communications and Public Affairs
We have an incredible
group of panelists
lined up for Friday's Google D.C. Talk on open and participatory government, and many have already weighed in with their questions and votes.
Have you? This is, after all, about open and participatory government.
Make sure your voice is heard.
Submit and vote on questions
for our panelists and, of course,
don't forget to RSVP
. We'll see you here in
our office
at 10 a.m.
Thanks for the welcome, Reston
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Posted by Mike Bradshaw, Director of Federal Enterprise Sales
Tuesday morning, my team welcomed the Reston, Virginia community into our office for our first official open house. Since we opened our doors in August 2008, everyone in Google Reston has been delighted by the warm reception we've received, and yesterday was a chance to celebrate with local community leaders, non-profits, politicians and press.
Our office here in Northern Virginia is dedicated to two things. First, it's home to my team, the
Federal division
of Google's Enterprise Sales group, which packages Google's consumer products for use in business and government. Second, it's home to Google's Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist,
Vint Cerf
, who keynoted our program with a talk about, among other things, recent successes in creating an
interplanetery Internet
. Google Reston is about 20 miles from our Washington, D.C. office, which focuses on public policy and government relations.
Joining us in the speaking program were Virginia Delegate Ken Plum, Fairfax County Supervisor Cathy Hudgins, and Fairfax County Economic Development Authority President and CEO Dr. Gerry Gordon. Also joining us to announce their new community partnerships with Google were
Reston Interfaith
CEO Kerrie Wilson and Fairfax County Public Schools' Dr. Jack Dale, Superintendent, and Jay Garant, Business and Community Partnerships Coordinator.
Best of all, we were joined by the original founder of Reston, Robert E. Simon, whose
vision for the town
has always emphasized quality of life, including the ability for residents to live and work in the same community. Both Vint and I have lived in Northern Virginia (myself in Reston) for over 20 years, so we're proud to say we're making that a reality.
Thanks again to Reston for the warm welcome. We look forward to working with the Northern Virginia community and, of course, with the federal government over the long haul.
Google D.C. Talk next week: Opening government to citizen participation
Friday, December 5, 2008
Posted by Galen Panger, Global Communications and Public Affairs
This past election brought more people than ever into the political dialogue -- as observers, commentators, voters, volunteers and contributors. Now how will that energy be transferred to the realm of governing?
We'll explore that question next Friday, December 12, at the second of three Google D.C. Talks focused on a policy agenda for the Obama Administration and 111th Congress. Open government advocates in two panels will share their ideas about how technology can help government become more accountable, transparent and participatory.
And to make sure we're walking the participatory walk, we invite you to
submit and vote on questions for our panelists
ahead of time via Google Moderator.
Google D.C. Talks presents the second in a three-part series
"Tech Agenda 2009: Creating New Opportunities
for Open & Participatory Government"
Friday, December 12, 2008
10:00 AM - 11:45 AM ET
Google Washington Office
1101 New York Avenue, NW, Second Floor
Washington, DC 20005
Click here for more details and to RSVP
As Canada faces political upheaval, what are Canadians searching for?
Friday, December 5, 2008
Posted by Jacob Glick, Canada Policy Counsel
These are fascinating times for Canadian political junkies. Our minority
Conservative Party
government,
re-elected just under two months ago
, faces the possibility of being replaced by a coalition of the
Liberal Party
and the
New Democratic Party
(NDP), supported by the
Bloc Québécois
.
Hoping to avoid such a fate (at least without an election) the Prime Minister has asked, and
the Governor General has agreed, to prorogue Parliament
. (
Prorogation
is like a parliamentary time out. Everyone goes to a corner and thinks about what they've done.)
So what are Canadians searching for in this time of upheaval?
Not surprisingly, there's been a massive increase in searches for "prorogue."
Until this month there's been almost no interest in prorogation — which is typically parliamentary esoterica rather than front page news. And not surprisingly, searches for "coalition," "coalition government," "ndp coalition," and "canadian government" have also spiked.
In fact, according to our
Insights for Search
tool, since last Friday, when serious rumors of a coalition coalesced, to this Tuesday, the day after the Liberals and NDP signed their
coalition agreement
, searches for "coalition" are up more than sevenfold:
Similarly, searches for "king-byng" (a 1926
constitutional crisis
, somewhat reminiscent of the current situation) are up 100 fold since September:
How about the party leaders themselves? It appears that Prime Minister Stephen Harper is the most searched-for political leader in Canada:
However, the data also suggests we may not be as bilingual as we think. Many Canadians are misspelling the name of our Liberal leader and Harper's chief rival, Stéphane Dion, searching for "Stephen Dion" instead. Quel dommage!
Last call for Google Policy Fellowship applications
Friday, December 5, 2008
Posted by Joe Sexton, Fellowship Coordinator
The Internet played a crucial role in the recent elections of countless American and Canadian politicians. But when they take office in 2009, how will their policy decisions, in turn, affect the Internet itself? As we
announced
last month, we are looking for outstanding students to spend the summer as
Google Policy Fellows
at
organizations
that are helping shape those decisions.
Each selected fellow will receive a stipend to work at one of
fifteen organizations
in the U.S. and Canada that are leading the public debate on issues ranging from broadband policy to copyright reform to open government.
Applications
are due next Friday, December 12, so get going!
Response to phone companies' "Google bandwidth" report
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Posted by Richard Whitt, Washington Telecom and Media Counsel
Earlier this week I thought that the
announcement
of a broadband access "call to action" was an encouraging sign that the phone and cable carriers could set aside their differences with Internet companies and public interest groups over
network neutrality
, and focus on solving our nation's broadband challenges. Unfortunately, a report issued today suggests that some carriers would still rather point fingers and keep fighting old battles.
Scott Cleland over at
Precursor Blog
is, of course, not exactly a neutral analyst. He is
paid
by the phone and cable companies -- AT&T, Verizon, Time Warner, and others -- to be a full time Google critic. As a result, most people here in Washington take his commentary with a heavy dose of salt.
The
report
that Mr. Cleland issued today -- alleging that Google is somehow unfairly consuming network bandwidth -- is just the latest in what one blogger called his "
payola punditry
." Not surprisingly, in his zeal to score points in the net neutrality debate, he made significant methodological and factual errors that undermine his report's conclusions.
First and foremost, there's a huge difference between your own home broadband connection, and the Internet as a whole. It's the consumers voluntarily choosing to use our applications who are actually using their own broadband bandwidth -- not Google. To say that Google somehow "uses" consumers' home broadband connections shows a fundamental misunderstanding of how the Internet actually works.
Second, Google already pays billions of dollars for the bandwidth and server capacity necessary to connect our data centers together, and then to carry traffic from those data centers to the Internet backbone. That is the way the Net has always operated: each side pays for their own connection to the Net.
Third, Mr. Cleland's cost estimates are overblown. For one, his attempt to correlate Google's "market share and traffic" to use of petabytes of bandwidth is misguided. The whole point of a search engine like Google's is to connect a user to some other website as quickly as possible. If Mr. Cleland's definition of "market share" includes all those other sites, and then attributes them to Google's "traffic," that mistake alone would skew the overall numbers by a huge amount.
Mr. Cleland's calculations about YouTube's impact are similarly flawed. Here he confuses "market share" with "traffic share." YouTube's share of video traffic is decidedly smaller than its market share. And typical YouTube traffic takes up far less bandwidth than downloading or streaming a movie.
Finally, the Google search bots that Mr. Cleland claims are driving bandwidth consumption don't even affect consumers' broadband connections at all -- they are searching and indexing only websites.
We don't fault Mr. Cleland for trying to do his job. But it's unfortunate that the phone and cable companies funding his work would rather launch
poorly researched broadsides
than help solve consumers' problems.
A national broadband strategy -- now
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Posted by Richard Whitt, Washington Telecom and Media Counsel
While folks in D.C. have been talking for years about the need for a comprehensive U.S. policy on broadband, there are promising signs that a new coalition announced today may be able to help bring that aspiration closer to fruition.
This morning on Capitol Hill
I joined a
broad and diverse group
of communications providers, tech companies, and public interest groups to issue a
Call to Action for adoption of a national broadband strategy
.
Just as the expansion of electric power and the development of the interstate highway system drove economic growth in the previous century, high-speed Internet access is an essential input to a 21st century economy. Unfortunately, the U.S. continues to fall further and
further behind
other countries in broadband penetration, speed, and uptake, a situation that poses a serious threat to our nation's ability to compete in today's global economy.
We need a national broadband strategy to reverse this trend. High-speed Internet access will generate enormous economic and other benefits for all Americans. As the Call to Action puts it, the broadband-enabled Internet has become "a catalyst for innovation, economic growth, job creation, educational opportunity and global competitiveness."
To me, three key pieces are necessary to fully support an open and generative Internet. First, we need more competitive, ubiquitous, and mobile pipes, at faster speeds, and with greater uptake by consumers. Second, we need enough raw capacity available on those pipes to support robust Internet access. And third, we need open, neutral on-ramps to the Net itself. Importantly, all three elements are outlined in today's Call for Action. When you add in the impressive breadth and depth of the coalition membership, we may finally be on the road to adoption of a real national broadband strategy.
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