A top Republican senator introduced legislation Monday to block the Obama administration’s attempt to impose formal net neutrality rules, just hours after FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski announced he would seek groundbreaking new limits on ISPs — both wireline and wireless.
The new rules are intended to guarantee that citizens can use their choice of devices, services and applications, and to prevent ISPs from discriminating against services or creating high and low roads on the internet. Supporters say net neutrality rules will protect consumers and sets fair rules for all.
I say "because it's there" in jest since we know Senators like Hutchinson are just representing the big communications companies they're in bed with. The fight over "net neutrality" rules is actually a fight to preserve the egalitarian nature of internet communications against a push by the telecom industry to gain control over the kind of content available to users. Without net neutrality rules in place, your cable provider would be able to charge varying rates for users and content providers in exchange for access to their network. The effect would be to make the internet more of a commercial-driven entertainment tool similar to cable television.
Personally, I happen to think think that the taming and de-democratization of the internet is an inevitability since it seems to be what most people want whether they know it or not. The popularity of social networking sites like Facebook demonstrate the public's appetite for centrally controlled content provided through a "channel" they all watch together. But that doesn't mean there's no reason to try and slow down the process. You can read more at Save The Internet.
This week the Obama FCC announced its support for strengthening net neutrality rules and, as we know, whenever the Obama administration announces anything it emboldens the GOP hardliners to make a show of their opposition. Oh, who are the GOP censor-the-internet hardliners?
Hutchison, a Texas gubernatorial candidate and the top Republican on the Senate Commerce, Science and Technology committee, was joined by five fellow Republicans: John Ensign (Nevada), Sam Brownback (Kansas), David Vitter (Louisiana), Jim DeMint (South Carolina) and John Thune (South Dakota). While the amendment is unlikely to stop Obama’s drive to deliver on his campaign promise to back new limits on ISPs, it does show that the adoption of the rules will not be a bloodless fight.
If it's a crappy idea, Vitter can't be far from it.
Story via First Draft where there is more.
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