As mentioned here before, a bill looming before Congress would give communications companies like AT&T and Verizon an increased role in the control of the Internet. Earlier today, I spent some time trying to decipher just what this means. It sure feels like a dangerous change but a lot of folks opposing it are unable to explain just why it will be bad.
Which doesn't mean they're wrong. These days, it is not uncommon for lawmakers and elected officials to cobble up proposals that sound harmless or even beneficial…and they are until you get down to the particulars. George W. Bush has frequently attempted to drum up support for a plan like the privatizing of Social Security while remaining deliberately vague on the specifics. Lack of details is a perfectly valid reason to oppose a proposal…and of course, a seemingly-innocent change can be Step One in a scheme where we'll absolutely hate Steps Two through Ten and wish we hadn't accepted the first phase.
From what I can gather, the most immediate danger is that there will be nothing stopping the big Internet service providers from deciding to manipulate access for their subscribers…for instance, a company like Verizon might decide to block certain websites that espoused views they didn't want people reading. Or down the line, they could start blocking ads for their competition.
Will these and other abuses occur? I dunno. But it seems to me that there is a value to establishing loud and clear that when we go on the Internet, we expect equal access to all sites. Our supplier should just connect us and get out of the way.
I don't particularly believe in online petitions but there's one at Save the Internet, along with more details and facts. Yesterday afternoon, I phoned the office of my Congressguy, Henry Waxman, and told whoever answered the phone that I hoped my representative would represent my feelings on this matter. Whether or not the pending legislation would damage the World Wide Web may be arguable but this much is not: We now have total freedom. Any changes that matter can only result in less.