As CCIA prepares to begin its
fifth decade as a leading policy voice for the technology industry, we want to
reaffirm our core values, understand the dynamic environment in which we
operate, reassess challenges and opportunities, and identify how we can best
ensure our ability to continue to play a positive and important role.
From our earliest beginnings, we
have believed that understanding and protecting innovation was central to our
industry’s future, and that our industry was unique and of special importance
to society.
These beliefs continue to
influence and shape our choices in a global political environment that is
increasingly focused on our industry. As we have long understood, the essence
of our industry is its ability to intelligently capture and analyze information
and communicate it to different people and parts of society more quickly and
comprehensively than ever imagined.In simple terms, computing and communications greatly enhance our
ability to think, speak, and interact.This is of immense social, economic, and political importance, and is
changing almost every aspect of our world.
CCIA has always been sensitive to
the uniquely significant role of technology and communications, and thus
remains committed to protecting and advancing the interests of our members, the
industry as a whole, as well as society’s need to benefit from the positive
contributions that our industry can make.We also remain aware of the potential risks and dangers that can result
from the misuse of our industry’s products and services.
Innovation - how to foster it,
protect it, and benefit from it - requires us to understand the dynamic process
that has worked to get us to where we are.We do not think it is an accident that innovation has
flourished in a society that values an open, competitive economic marketplace,
nor where original independent and free speech are enshrined in law.While cooperation is a valuable
approach to progress, it must be balanced to never undermine the competitive
drive to create.This balance
helps our institutions thrive. Therefore, our commitment to vigorous
competition, freedom of expression, and openness is a natural product of the
understanding of what has helped our industry thrive, and what it needs to
continue to do so.
CCIA seeks consensus amongst the
oft-aligned interests of our industry, its users, partners and customers in
order to advance our common well-being. However, our industry is not
monolithic. We aim to include as members a broad representation of industry
companies that takes into account the dynamic and diverse qualities of the
industry so that we are aware of, and can be sensitive to, the legitimate
concerns of all sectors.Where consensus is not possible, we pursue positions where members’
interests and the commitment to CCIA’s underlying principles are most aligned.
Though our industry and political
worlds are constantly changing and require us to regularly consult and reassess
priorities with our members, our effectiveness, credibility, and reliability
have benefited from consistent adherence to CCIA’s core industry goals and
respect for the broad public interests involved. Because of our unique
understanding and beliefs, CCIA has become known as a principled, steadfast,
and assertive force in a volatile world.
