Obama's FCC Caves on Net Neutrality -- Tuesday Betrayal Assured

[Better Believe It]

Obama FCC Caves on Net Neutrality -- Tuesday Betrayal Assured
by Timothy Karr
December 20, 2010

Instead of a rule to protect Internet users' freedom to choose, the Commission has opened the door for broadband payola - letting phone and cable companies charge steep tolls to favor the content and services of a select group of corporate partners, relegating everyone else to the cyber-equivalent of a winding dirt road.

Instead of protecting openness on wireless Internet devices like the iPhone and Droid, the Commission has exempted the mobile Internet from Net Neutrality protections. This move enshrines Verizon and AT&T as gatekeepers to the expanding world of mobile Internet access, allowing them to favor their own applications while blocking, degrading or de-prioritizing others.

Instead of re-establishing the FCC's authority to act as a consumer watchdog over the Internet, it places the agency's authority on a shaky and indefensible legal footing -- giving ultimate control over the Internet to a small handful of carriers.

Net Neutrality is the freedom of speech, freedom of choice issue of the 21st century. It's the guarantee of a more open and democratic media system that was baked into the Internet at its founding.

On Tuesday, Obama's FCC is going to sell that out.

Read the full article at:

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/12/20-8

[democrat2thecore]

1. You got it. Sell out on a massive scale to big cable/telecommunications -nt

[pscot]

2. Yep

They let the camel get its nose in the tent for sure.

[jaxx]

3. David Goodfriend on Ratigan today.

He has a much different opinion of this:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31510813/#40771957

[RegieRocker]

4. It passed?

Just the opposite of what you claimed. It will prevent what you said. Just like it reigned in phone companies from gouging consumers.

[The Wielding Truth]

5. I am so confused by this. Is net neutrality good or bad, and has it been decided

that it is to be used or not?

[Better Believe It]

7. Visit the Save the Internet Coalition to find out more at:

http://www.savetheinternet.com/

[Scurrilous]

6. K & R

Great article!!

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

It should be posted more often.

[Davis_X_Machina]

8. 239 hits here...

...on the search string 'Tuesday Betrayal Assured'.

Just sayin'....

[RegieRocker]

9. Let make sure I understand you clearly

Before this passed the internet providers could do anything that wanted, and now since it has passed and the FCC has power over the internet to regulate it ( prevent internet companies from gouging customers) but since they only initially came up with three guidelines it's a bad that it passed?

[Sinistrous]

10. is this the thirteenth or the fourteenth time this exact subject line has been posted?