The Tribune

A Bahamian Internet business has spent the past week in Washington, D.C.in a bid to influence international internet policies.

Jason McDowall, chief executive of BahamasLocal.com, and executive council member representing The Bahamas and the Caribbean for the Internet Marketing Association (IMA), attended numerous meetings in the US capital.

Established in 2001, the IMA presently has more than 800,000 professional members with a common focus on creating an international Internet

marketing standard and lobbying governments to establish appropriate regulations regarding Internet policies and security. In addition to BahamasLocal.com, companies such as Microsoft, Google, and Adobe are all represented on the International Executive Council or Board of Directors.

Mr McDowall was among nine Council Board who met in Washington, D.C. for the first IMA Washington, D.C. Advocacy Trip - a series of meetings with members of Congress as well as parties representing the private sector.

Council members attended 13 meetings in just three days to discuss Internet policy, Internet security, cyber terrorism, and how the IMA can assist governments in establishing meaningful and enforceable Internet laws.

There was a meeting with Congressman Ed Royce, US Representative for the 39th District of California and chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. During this meeting a number of topics were covered, including intellectual property rights, import/export laws and international relations.

The IMA delegation also met with Congressman Buck McKeon, US Representative for the 25th District of California and chairman of the Armed Services Committee. Congressman McKeon briefed the group on domestic military and technological advances, as with the increased availability of technology has come a further need to protect both government agencies and the private sector from issues such as cyber terrorism.

Other meetings included Congressman Adam Schiff, who currently serves on the House Appropriations Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence; Congressman Kevin McCarthy, Majority Whip for the US House of Representatives; Congressman Bob Latta, member of the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology; Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, the most senior female member of the House Committee on Homeland Security and the House Armed Services Committee, where she serves on the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence; and Congressman John Campbell, chairman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee.

This advocacy trip was just one of many scheduled with various governments and private sector entities to further progress Internet laws around the world.

This summer, Mr McDowall will again be joining fellow delegates from the IMA International Executive Council in Europe. They have been officially invited by the president of Ireland to meet regarding the many areas of Internet policy, and have also been invited by the Irish Prime Minister to attend lunch at his private residence.