Google acknowledges lobbying on cybersecurity bill CISPA

Google acknowledged in its latest lobbying disclosure form that it is working behind the scenes on a controversial cybersecurity bill, the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA).

The bill's author, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), told The Hill last week that Google has been "supportive" of CISPA, which has angered some of the same Internet activists who joined with Google to defeat the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).

A Google spokeswoman said that although the company is lobbying on the bill, it has not taken a public position.

"We think this is an important issue and we're watching the process closely but we haven't taken a formal position on any specific legislation," the spokeswoman said.

The disclosure form lists CISPA along with 10 other consumer issues that Google is lobbying on. The company has eight lobbyists working on the category of issues, including former Rep. Susan Molinari (R-N.Y.) and Pablo Chavez, Google's director of public policy and a former aide to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)

CISPA, which is scheduled for a vote in the House this week, would tear down legal barriers that discourage companies from sharing information about cyberattacks.

The goal of the legislation is to help companies beef up their defenses against hackers who steal business secrets, rob customers' financial information and wreak havoc on computer systems.

But civil liberty groups are campaigning against the bill, warning it would encourage companies to hand over private information to government spy agencies.

Supporters of CISPA include Facebook, Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, Symantec, AT&T and Verizon.

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