Under the clever guise of the Internet Freedom Act of 2009, John McCain recently introduced a bill into senate that would drastically change how the internet functions (1). In its current form, the internet has an infinite number of sites and given an infinite amount of time an individual could visit each of them, regardless of his/her internet provider (e.g., Comcast). The IFA ’09 has the potential to treat internet sites like DirectTV, Comcast, Qwest, and Time Warner treat cable channels. For instance, if you have DirectTV you may have HBO and the Big Ten network, however, if you have Comcast you may have Showtime and the NFL Network. This could be the future of the internet. Let's keep an eye on this.
Telecommunications donated over 3 million dollars to McCain during his campaign (2). Interesting for someone who is a self-proclaimed internet illiterate.
Sources:
1) http://mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressOffice.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=7ccc25b5-9d63-321c-0238-805ed7bafc6b
2) http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/industries.php?cycle=2010&cid=N00006424&type=I
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This article seems to suggest McCain is opposing any restrictions on the iternet. Are other citations left out?
ReplyDeleteYour first citation I mean.
ReplyDeleteAs I said this is cleverly guised. The FCC currently regulates companies under “Net Neutrality” (1) to keep companies such as Comcast from blocking users capability to visit sites such as Qwest (2). Under McCain’s IFA ’09 the FCC would lose this power of regulation and thus allow telecommunications to block users from particular sites that may present competition. This would also open the door to a future when certain sites are only available through certain internet providers. McCain trumpets his bill will end government oversight and create jobs.
ReplyDeleteLet us pay attention to the historic fact that “those in a position to impose their projects not only hail them with enthusiasm but also typically benefit from them” and while promising grand principles “turn out in practice to be finely tuned to the needs of those running the game and cheering the outcome.”
-Noam Chomsky
Source:
1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_Act_of_1934
2) http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007/10/comcast_blocking.html
Wow. How did you pick up on this?
ReplyDelete"Blearc" seeded an article on Newsvine from Boing Boing. The name of the bill caught my attention because when politicians name something that obvious it most likely is veiling something evil (e.g., Defense of Marriage Act). A google search of IFA ’09 led me to a number of sites explaining the bill and its implications (sources I provided).
ReplyDelete