Slashdot Mirror


Aftermath From The Net Neutrality Vote: A Mass Movement To Protect The Open Internet? (mashable.com)

After Thursday's net neutrality vote, two security guards pinned a reporter against a wall until FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly had left the room, the Los Angeles Times reports. The Writers Guild of America calls the FCC's 2-to-1 vote to initiate a repeal of net neutrality rules a "war on the open internet," according to The Guardian. But the newspaper now predicts that online activists will continue their massive campaign "as the month's long process of reviewing the rules begins." The Hill points out that Mozilla is already hiring a high-profile tech lobbyist to press for both cybersecurity and an open internet, and in a blog post earlier this week the Mozilla Foundation's executive director sees a larger movement emerging from the engagement of millions of internet users. Today's support for net neutrality isn't the start of the Internet health movement. People have been standing up for an open web since its inception -- by advocating for browser choice, for open source practices, for mass surveillance reform. But net neutrality is an opportunity to propel this movement into the mainstream... If we make Internet health a mainstream issue, we can cement the web as a public resource. If we don't, mass surveillance, exclusion and insecurity can creep into every aspect of society. Hospitals held hostage by rogue hackers can become the status quo.
Meanwhile, The Guardian reports that it's not till the end of the FCC's review process that "a final FCC vote will decide the future of internet regulation," adding that however they vote, "court challenges are inevitable."

21 of 132 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Open and free Internet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    The central idea of the Internet is that every service has the same priority, so any user and company can deliver data over the Internet without having to pay way tolls. FCC regulations were in place to ensure this neutrality, and now they are about to be taken away. If they are taken away, the Internet in the US will be gone. It will be a "data delivery service to whoever can afford to pay" network and small Internet companies can close their shops in the US.

    On a side note, people like you are bigots, because everybody with a brain already knows all of what I've just said.

  2. Trump's real legacy by whoever57 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Tristani was allowed to sit in the media area but said she was not allowed to move from there during the meeting. Other protesters were allowed only in an overflow room that had a video feed of the meeting.

    It speaks to the current atmosphere,â she said of Washington after President Trump took office. âoeItâ(TM)s a Trumpian atmosphere not only with the press but with anybody who has a different view.â

    This is Trump's legacy: thugs employed by the government feel immune to any restraint. The stories just keep on coming about this type of behaviour from government employees, for example, the abuses committed by ICE.

    Look at the assaults committed by Erdogan's bodyguards. Yes, Erdogan has immunity as head of state, but his bodyguards don't. Why hasn't anyone been arrested and charged?

    --
    The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!
  3. Re:Open and free Internet by klingens · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yes. The same way the key to open and free roads ist the power of the government to make laws how everyone can use said roads.

    Both, internet and roads, are essential infrastructure for society to actually work and therefore cannot be left in the hands of private interests. So even if either of them are (partially) privatized, one still needs very strict laws and regulations.

  4. Re:Open and free Internet by NotInHere · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yes, the government's biggest job is to ensure a free environment. E.g. there are laws that forbid people to rob or kill others. This allows you to freely roam the country without fear of being robbed or killed. Of course, you could say such rules are just government intervention, and require private armies to be set up, or gated communities, etc. But generally, gated communities are not a good solution to the problem, as a) it is only a solution for people who can afford it and b) it impairs freedom.

    The net neutrality rules are similar here: they ensure that the companies don't fuck with their customers, and ensure that you can enjoy any service you want. Yes, its limiting the ISP's but it creates a big free environment in turn for competition, companies and business to thrive.

  5. Re:Open and free Internet by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Let me see if I have this right

    No, you do not have it right. If the market for ISPs was competitive, then Net Neutrality would not be needed, because if consumers didn't like their ISP's policies, they could just switch to another. But the ISP market is NOT competitive, not even close. Most consumers have a choice of exactly one broadband provider.

    Regulating monopolies to prevent them from abusing their dominance is a legitimate role of government.

  6. We're gonna need somebody else in charge by rsilvergun · · Score: 4, Insightful

    if we want Net Neutrality back. I know it's not popular to bring up politics (which is odd, since this discussion couldn't get any less political) but the ruling party has always been opposed to NN. Their arguments are pretty straight forward: It's undue and unnecessary regulation that stifles innovation. Let the Market sort it out.

    There's plenty of counter arguments that I want get into. I don't want to get off track anymore. Bottom line is this: The Republican party is ideologically opposed to Net Neutrality. It is, after all, a massive government regulation. It just so happens to be one that's popular with techies. Said it before, say it again: If you elect a party that takes as a central tenet that regulation is usually unnecessary, bad and a drain on Free Market principles you're going to have to accept the results. Net Neutrality is fundamentally incompatible with that ideology.

    TLDR; Vote in your Mid Terms.

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
  7. Re:Open and free Internet by alexo · · Score: 2

    A little disingenuous of you to lump everything under the same "regulation" umbrella, don't you think?

    Anti-trust laws, consumer right regulations and criminalizing murder are also "regulation".

    It all depends on the actual and specific mandate.

  8. Yes by rsilvergun · · Score: 5, Insightful

    and it's ridiculously counter intuitive.

    Look, I get it. Nobody likes to have a ruling class. But you've got one. You always will. That's because people pass money, property and other advantages to their children and those things build up over time. Then those children form groups, organizations and societies to protect and expand that wealth. It's always been this way and it will continue for the foreseeable future. These days the way it works is they form mega corps and sit on each other's board of directors.

    Now, you've got two options. First, pretend the ruling class doesn't exist and ignore their influence. Second, form a large organization comprised of members of the working class who can counteract that influence by shear weight of numbers. We call that organization Government and we call the system that manages it Democracy. When it actively looks out for the interests of the working class we call it Democratic Socialism.

    Think of it this way: Government is like a box of loaded rifles sitting out in the open. If you pretend the box isn't there somebody's gonna come along and pick up those rifles (e.g. your ruling class). The only real option is to pick one up yourself. But now you've got a different problem, everybody's armed to the teeth. So you've got to start making rules to keep them from shooting & looting. What I'm saying is, Government is a tool. It's a tool so useful that if you don't use it somebody else will. You're letting somebody else use that tool right now, and they're running roughshod over you with it.Please stop it. The rest of use don't have enough rifles to stand up without you.

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
  9. Re:Open and free Internet by thegarbz · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Except someone decided you're not free to use the roads without government permission in the form of a license.

    They decided no such thing. There's nothing stopping you walking down a road, cycling down a road, or otherwise. You're not restricted from using the road, only using it in a way that could negatively impact others (i.e. driving a 2T metal deathtrap without training or after specifically showing you're incapable of doing so within the rules).

    And the government didn't build the internet

    Before you look any more ignorant you may want to look up the history of your country with regards to:
    a) where the telcoms came from and with whose money they were built.
    b) where the internet itself came from and with whose money it was built.
    c) just how much government funding goes into the companies currently providing said internet to citizens.

  10. Re:Open and free Internet by Areyoukiddingme · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The FCC regulations to reclassify under Title II were ruled in February 2015, but were not yet in effect. Furthermore, those regulations did not exist before 2015. Thus the internet spent almost its entire existence without the regulation people are convinced is essential. Somehow, it managed.

    Yes, Response #2 in the shill playbook.

    Prior to 2015, asshats hadn't thought of breaking the fucking Internet for profit. Monopoly ISPs realized they were monopolies and are now trying to break the Internet. Therefore, they must be regulated. Regulations are for reining in asshats. Don't want regulations? Don't be an asshat. But you are, aren't you, shill...

  11. Sherman Anti-Trust Act by Areyoukiddingme · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It's time to start seriously talking about the Sherman Antitrust Act. It has been illegal since 1890 for monopolies to leverage their monopoly status in one line of business into another line of business. ISPs breaking the Internet by violating Net Neutrality are a posterchild for illegal activity. And this isn't difficult to understand. Let's look at the text of section 1, in its entirety:

    15 U.S. Code 1 - Trusts, etc., in restraint of trade illegal; penalty

    Every contract, combination in the form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy, in restraint of trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations, is declared to be illegal. Every person who shall make any contract or engage in any combination or conspiracy hereby declared to be illegal shall be deemed guilty of a felony, and, on conviction thereof, shall be punished by fine not exceeding $100,000,000 if a corporation, or, if any other person, $1,000,000, or by imprisonment not exceeding 10 years, or by both said punishments, in the discretion of the court.

    Obviously Comcast doesn't give a damn about a piddling million dollar penalty.[1] But Comcast executives might care a little bit about a federal felony conviction.

    There's 38 sections in 15 U.S.C., half a dozen of which have been repealed. Section 15c is an interesting one. That's the one that says State attorneys general are allowed to sue to enforce this law. It does not require a federal prosecutor. There's an aggressive New York state attorney general who might be interested.

    Section 15 is also interesting. That's the one that says, "any person who shall be injured in his business or property by reason of anything forbidden in the antitrust laws may sue therefor in any district court", and recover triple damages plus attorney's fees. And since corporations are persons... Netflix needs to grow some balls and sue Comcast in federal court. They qualify. It's black letter law, with zero difficulty proving damages. The dollar amount Comcast extorted from them is the amount of damage they suffered. It's trivial to prove Comcast is an interstate monopoly. Done and done. I just wish Netflix had a lawyer like NewEgg's general counsel.

    ISPs might be more interested in Title II protections after a few felony convictions. Eric Schneiderman, are you listening?

    ----
    [1] Obviously the law needs to be inflation-adjusted. That penalty cap should be at least $25,791,700. Still a drop in the bucket. I would argue it needs to be 10 times the inflation adjusted amount.

  12. Re:Who decided that was the central idea? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    BULLSHIT.

    There is no reason to pay to prioritize Netflix traffic if it already has the same priority as other traffic. The only reason to pay to increase priority is if it will otherwise be de-prioritized.

    As a customer, I have already paid for all of my data traffic. Now you demand that I pay more for certain bits than for the rest?

  13. Re:Open and free Internet by mrclevesque · · Score: 2

    "The central idea of the Internet is that every service has the same priority"

    Right, VOIP from one company doesn't have priority over other VOIP services, streaming video from one company isn't prioritized over streaming from another, and so on.

  14. Re:Open and free Internet by Caesar+Tjalbo · · Score: 3, Informative

    Prior to 2015, asshats hadn't thought of breaking the fucking Internet for profit.

    The Netherlands got their net neutrality in 2011 because one of the big telco's was dreaming aloud about new pricing schemes. Chile was the first in the world in 2010.

    --
    "I'm not much interested in interoperability. I want substitutability. I want to be able to throw your software out."
  15. Re:Who decided that was the central idea? by Boronx · · Score: 2

    The network would exist without government interference, but the internet certainly wouldn't. The whole point is to make the connections between the networks transparent.

    You may not understand why that's valuable to the country, but it is.

  16. Re:Open and free Internet by Boronx · · Score: 2

    What the government wont do is set a faster speed for Chevys over Toyotas because Toyota won't pay up.

  17. Re:Open and free Internet by sonicmerlin · · Score: 4, Informative

    The internet was regulated under Title II until a Republican FCC Commissioner named Kevin Martin deregulated it in 2004.

  18. Re:Open and free Internet by sonicmerlin · · Score: 2

    Oh god shut the frack up you stupid anarchist 12 year old piece of trash. No, we will not let you drive like a drunken maniac and endanger those around you.

  19. Re:Open and free Internet by sonicmerlin · · Score: 2

    You're a freaking moron. Even Google is giving up on building out fiber to compete, and you think it's not too expensive?

    You don't even understand the basic problems inherent to infrastructure markets.

  20. Re:Who decided that was the central idea? by mrclevesque · · Score: 2

    "The government does not get to interfere in private property"

    The government permits and manages the very existence of private property so of course they (we) get to say how it works.

  21. Re:Open and free Internet by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 2

    How would it help to do that when the executives will be perfectly happy to follow the regulations which give them more power and make it hard for startups to compete with them?

    Obviously you don't understand what net neutrality is.

    --
    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.