The Internet Freedom Fight: A Round-Up

by Matt Stoller, Mon Apr 24, 2006 at 08:37:26 AM EDT

Background on the Issue: The internet is open because private companies haven't been allowed to block content they don't like. Now the telcos want to make it so they can block what you see.

The Threat to You is real: Telcos have already blocked competing services, censored emails, and prevented customers from reading political web sites. Why do you assume they care about your rights?

Come On, This Isn't Really Happening: Fine, don't believe me. Ignore the fact that the CEO of AT&T is on record that this is going to happen. You can pretend that this won't affect you, if you want.

'Net Neutrality': A Simple Explanation: Annoying tech issue, maybe, but you can watch this this simple video explanation.

Explaining the Players in the Fight: It's a corporate cartel with bought and paid lobbyists versus a free market and citizens groups.

Can we win this fight? Yes, we can. Congress isn't that set on giving away the internet. They just don't understand the issues involved and don't think anyone's paying attention.

What You Should Link to:
SavetheInternet.com
Moveon Petition
Save the Internet on MySpace

Tags: net neutrality (all tags)

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Re: The Internet Freedom Fight: A Round-Up

Thanks for keeping on this. It's the next big fight for the internets.

I'm in.

by boadicea 2006-04-24 09:17AM | 0 recs

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Re: The Internet Freedom Fight: A Round-Up

Didn't know you were a Texan boadicea. For my money this is as big as Social Security. We'll be giving them hell in California. I'm going to be paying Rep. Mary Bono and Rep. Loretta Sanchez a personal visit today. I'll report back on the results.

by Gary Boatwright 2006-04-24 10:02AM | 0 recs

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Re: The Internet Freedom Fight: A Round-Up

Yes, I'm in Blue Austin, and fighting alongside the good folks at TexasKos.

I agree, this is an all out assault on the most effective free enterprise and communication platform of the 21st century.

Good luck on your visits with the California reps. I look forward to hearing the results.

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by gizzy 2007-07-27 06:26AM | 0 recs

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by Josh Koenig 2006-04-24 09:39AM | 0 recs

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Maybe we should elect younger people

Becuase, to be square, if being old makes you incapable of making the nation's decisions, then you should beat it.

The world is moving too fast these days to allow 60 year old men to make decisions that alter our lives.

by jcjcjc 2006-04-24 10:44AM | 0 recs

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Re: The Internet Freedom Fight: A Round-Up

FYI... Media companies have received this about an hour ago.

____________

FreedomWorks News Alert April 24, 2006
Dick Armey, Chairman

-------------------

FREEDOMWORKS TARGETS DANGEROUS NETWORK NEUTRALITY EFFORT
New Coalition for Internet Freedom ironically proposes increased government regulation of the internet.

Washington, D.C. -- In response to today's launch of the "Save the Internet" Coalition, a misguided group of leftist organizations selling network neutrality legislation as a "First Amendment for the Internet," FreedomWorks is refocusing its long-standing campaign to bring about free-market telecommunications reform. The campaign aims to bring truth and clarity to the too-often misunderstood concept of net neutrality.

Net neutrality legislation would grant the federal government broad power to dictate how businesses offer Internet service. FreedomWorks finds this violation of fundamental property rights alarming. Additionally, FreedomWorks has grave concerns that, if enacted, net neutrality provisions would significantly deter investment in exciting new technologies that offer a faster, higher-quality Internet experience, thus ultimately hurting the consumer.

To combat the misinformation that groups such as "Save the Internet" have propagated regarding net neutrality, FreedomWorks is taking a multi-pronged approach to prevent net neutrality regulations including: directing its nationwide of army of more than 800,000 volunteer activists to call and email their members of Congress; conducting one-on-one hill staff and member education with FreedomWorks chief economist Wayne Brough and chairman Dick Armey; and placing targeted print and Internet advertisements.

FreedomWorks has a more than 20-year history on free-market technology issues. Most recently, it was active in several states for its "Choose Your Cable" campaign--a grassroots effort to streamline barriers to entry that now exist in the video programming--more commonly known as "cable TV"--market.

FreedomWorks Chairman Dick Armey commented:

"Net neutrality allows the government to run all over basic property rights in classic, Kelo fashion while expanding regulation in the telecommunications arena. Having the government tell a cable or phone company how to manage the pipes that offer their clients Internet service would fare no better than having the government tell Wal-Mart how to stock its lawn and garden department.

As Congress takes up the important issue of telecommunications reform, it must avoid the false idea that net neutrality represents Internet freedom. Nothing could be further from the truth; net neutrality is nothing more than "Internet regulation."

-- 30 --

For more information, call Adam Brandon at (202) 942-7698 or visit http://www.freedomworks.org

About FreedomWorks

FreedomWorks recruits, educates, trains, and mobilizes ordinary Americans to fight for less government, lower taxes, and more freedom. Founded in 1984, FreedomWorks has more than 700,000 members nationwide.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~
FreedomWorks...Advancing Freedom through Citizen Action

To stop receiving periodic breaking news from FreedomWorks, or to change your profile, simply click this link:

http://www.csemail.org/press/manage_prof ile.php?id=36434

by jrockoford234 2006-04-24 11:39AM | 0 recs

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Common Carriers

This is an example of why we need to talk about common carriers. As soon as we use that term, we hook into a legislator's existing body of knowledge on the subject. We shift the ground from:

Having the government tell a cable or phone company how to manage the pipes that offer their clients Internet service would fare no better than having the government tell Wal-Mart how to stock its lawn and garden department.

... to: "Having the government tell Internet carriers that they must treat all their clients neutrally would fare as well as when the government said the same thing to the railroads and then to the phone companies."

At that point, we're no longer in a debate on the merits. Most of them know that worked quite well. With them, we win, presumptively, and the burden is on the other side to open up a debate.

by cos 2006-04-24 11:58AM | 0 recs

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Common Carriers

When talking to congresscritters, I think it's important to mention the "common carrier model", which I believe started with railroads, then was carried over to telecommunications. It's a legislative principle that says those who carry the traffic must be neutral, and treat all those who use their network equally - even (especially) if they're one of the users.

It's a well understood principle with a long history, and many legislators understand that this is how we got railroads and then telephones to serve the country and grow the economy. It's also what has made the Internet succeed. We need to continue with a good thing: we need Internet traffic carried by neutral "common carriers".

by cos 2006-04-24 11:53AM | 0 recs

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Where in the bill is Net Neutrality killed?

(Warning: big honkin' PDF) Here's the bill.

I'm ready to jump on board, but I'd still like to know first just what words in this bill will do away with net neutrality if they become law.

Surely someone can explain that. Right?

by RT 2006-04-24 11:58AM | 0 recs

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Re: The Internet Freedom Fight: A Round-Up

RT, there is no neutrality mandate right now.

Congress can't take away "net neutrality". It is a concept, not a law, and was never granted by Congress in the first place. It is not theirs to give or take.

Neutrality advocates are asking for new laws which dictate how private bits cross private wires. Think of it this way: you should expect the FCC to handle "neutrality" with all the nuance and expertise they have applied to "decency".

by ORinSF 2006-04-24 07:50PM | 0 recs

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Re: The Internet Freedom Fight: A Round-Up

I think Internet providers were covered under the Telecom law until sometime last year, so there was some requirement for neutrality, until the FCC dumped it. Is that not true?

by cos 2006-04-24 08:04PM | 0 recs

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Re: The Internet Freedom Fight: A Round-Up

Yes, that's right. OrinSF is incorrect.

by Matt Stoller 2006-04-24 09:13PM | 0 recs

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Re: The Internet Freedom Fight: A Round-Up

No, that's not right. OrinSF is correct. Please cite the relevent law before you just assume. Net Neutrality is a concept, not a law.

by curiousstranger 2006-04-28 05:24PM | 0 recs

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Re: The Internet Freedom Fight: A Round-Up

Neither. It was "law" only for the telcos, but it was FCC policy until recently for the rest, I'm pretty sure.

by cos 2006-05-02 12:21PM | 0 recs

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Re: The Internet Freedom Fight: A Round-Up

Nope. It only applies to common carriers. The FCC issued a "statement of principle" in 2005 supporting the concept, immediately after ruling that it was alright for common carrier DSL providers to close their networks to competitors. A C.Y.A. move as far as I can see. The statement of principle has no rule of law behind and is not a policy that can be enforced by the FCC.

by curiousstranger 2006-05-03 05:12PM | 0 recs

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Re: The Internet Freedom Fight: A Round-Up

To clarify, neutrality rules apply to common carriers. Cable companies have never been common carriers, and this was reaffirmed last year by the Supreme Court (http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/04 -277.ZS.html). Additionally, ISP's who are not common carriers, such as AOL, Earthlink, Speakeasy, etc do not have to abide by these rules.

by curiousstranger 2006-04-28 05:52PM | 0 recs