KEEP THE INTERNET OPEN, ACCESSIBLE, CREATIVE
The White House, Congress and the Federal Communications Commission need
to push back against efforts by Verizon and Google and other Internet
service providers to discriminate against online content by rates and
fees
THE debate over preserving open, equal access to the Internet took a
hard, sharp turn away from the theoretical toward a grim future of toll
booths on the information superhighway.
The Associated Press confirmed Monday that Verizon and Google want to
allow Internet service providers to charge customers extra for premium
services over segregated networks. None of this, they claim, should come
at the expense of slowing, blocking or charging to prioritize regular
Internet traffic — however that gets defined. Brace for heavy eye rolls.
Columbia law professor Tim Wu, writing for Slate, likens the
"content-for-cash scheme" to an earlier scandal in another medium: "We
could term it 'Internet Payola' after the practice of record labels
paying radio stations to play their songs."
The agreement between Verizon and Google to pursue their line of
argument in Congress and with regulators should be an alarm bell for
consumers, lawmakers and the White House. This is a direct assault on
their pocketbooks, and a productive way of doing business.
Wake up Mr. President, reintroduce yourself to your campaign personas,
which was shocked and appalled by the potential tampering with a
technology that thrived, prospered and evolved thanks to open access for
new ideas, devices and software.
The next few days and weeks will introduce a brave, new world of murky
language about "managed services" and other contrivances by ISP
lobbyists to sell their plan not to treat all customers equally.
The moment is ripe for the Federal Communications Commission and chair
Julius Genachowski to reclaim the moral and legal authority to protect
American consumers. A judicial setback in the FCC's ability to regulate
broadband only means the agency's authority needs to be broadened and
affirmed by Congress.
The FCC has powerful allies, such as Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., who
chairs the Senate Commerce Committee. He knows firsthand how corporate
selectivity in service provision can hurt rural markets.
Wu, chair of the media-reform group Free Press, wonders if an
inadvertent casualty of the pay-to-play path will be Google's
credibility with customers who trusted the company as a corporate
expression of an open-Internet ethic.
Net neutrality is under assault and the consequences are real. The White
House, Congress and the FCC must take on a potent, well-financed,
politically adroit lobbying force to protect millions of ordinary
customers and voters.
<http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorials/2012580175_edit10deal.html>
|
Linear Mode
