Internet Works recently hosted our first-ever California Lobby Days, bringing Middle Tech’s voices to Sacramento. During this visit, Internet Works reintroduced ourselves as the leading voice for Middle Tech, representing member companies from a broad spectrum of industries across the Internet. Representatives from twelve of our member companies (Etsy, Dropbox, Roblox, Pinterest, EBay, Tripadvisor, Nextdoor, Yahoo, Reddit, Indeed, Discord and Intuit) met with state leaders shaping California tech policy, establishing Internet Works as a resource for lawmakers leading on artificial intelligence and social media policy in the Golden State.
We met with 18 legislative offices, including Assemblymembers Catherine Stefani and Matt Haney. In these meetings, we discussed getting AI policy right for deployers and integrators, advancing risk-based policies that prioritize youth wellbeing on online platforms, and right-sizing technology policy to promote Middle Tech competitiveness and innovation.
We also met with Governor Gavin Newsom’s staff to discuss the state’s evolving tech policy landscape and the Governor’s newest working group report on artificial intelligence.
A highlight of Lobby Days was our discussion with California Attorney General Rob Bonta focused on AB 56, the Social Media Warning Labels Act. This was an important conversation to emphasize why it is important to draft thoughtful policies to promote youth wellbeing on online platforms with a risk-based approach.
Internet Works was also thrilled to host our California “Middle Tech Mixer,” where we were joined by Speaker of the Assembly Robert Rivas and State Senator Scott Weiner to celebrate a future of ongoing collaboration between Internet Works and state lawmakers. We also presented Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris with the 2025 Middle Tech Champion Award because of her leadership in reinstating research and development (R&D) tax credits in the state budget, her voice on the Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee, and her work to strike a balance on public safety and record retention on social media platforms.
While this was Internet Works’ first annual Lobby Days in California, it certainly won’t be our last. Policymakers across the country are recognizing the need to right-size tech policy, and Internet Works is committed to advocating for policies that foster innovation, competition, and fairness in California and beyond!