bad telecom company spentmillionsof dollars lobbying against the net neutrality protections that keep the web free and open . Since theirvictory , they all seem to want to reestablish last disinterest — on their own terms . On Wednesday , AT&T threw its weight behind lawmaking for an “ Internet Bill of Rights ” with full - varlet ads in major newspaper , and it ’s impart a turn of events to the common talking point .
Stephensonbegins by explainingthat rules regulate the net keep alter and it ’s “ understandably perplexing ” for customers and business enterprise . But the tardy change probably would n’t have happened if his troupe and the other telecoms did n’t spend$572 millionlobbying US political science agencies over the the last nine year .
He then pronounce that while lawmakers cipher out some variety of permanent answer , AT&T “ is commit to an open internet . ” But like his fellow worker atComcast , his pledge to customers leaves much to be desired . “ We do n’t lug websites , ” Stephenson write . “ We do n’t ban online content . And we do n’t throttle , discriminate , or degrade internet performance based on content . Period . ” That hope is just saying that it has n’t change the policies it had under the previous protective covering . At no point does Stephenson say that his company wo n’t do any of those things . Gizmodo has asked AT&T if it will pledge to never do any of those things and will update this post if we experience a reply .
at long last , Stephenson cast in a curve nut by suggesting non - ISP technical school company like Google need to be regulated to protect last disinterest , complicating the return . “ Congressional action is needed to establish an ‘ Internet Bill of Rights ’ that applies to all internet ship’s company and assure disinterest , transparence , openness , non - discrimination and privacy protection for all net exploiter , ” he pen . As Harold Feld , senior frailty Chief Executive at the consumer advocacy group Public Knowledge , toldThe Washington Post , “ The lamentable fact is that AT&T and other companies have used the ‘ but what about Google ’ line as a misdirection since the last disinterest debate was 5 minutes sometime . ” But the of late repealed Title II protective covering were about ensuring that telecoms plow all dealings on the net equally and do n’t restrict or lug websites they do n’t like . If Google or Amazon became a major ISP , net disinterest would be about them as well . Right now , this is just a shiny object that AT&T is swing in front of lawmaker who areincreasingly upsetwith Silicon Valley .
It ’s unclear how , exactly , AT&T thinks this all - cover statute law should strike tech company , but it ’s obvious who it require write the police force . According to Stephenson , “ we think to work with Congress , other internet ship’s company and consumer groups in the come month to press for an ‘ Internet Bill of Rights ’ that permanently protects the open internet for all users and encourage continued investment for the next multiplication of cyberspace innovation . ” Ah yes , let ’s all trust the company that wanted to wipe out final disinterest ( and isstillfacing a$100 millionfine for transgress the previous prescript ) with writing the unexampled statute law .
This is the with child telecom playbook in a nutshell . They require to anneal public anger by acting as if they ’re just trying to get some sensible laws on the al-Qur’an when a dead reasonable regulation already exist . They argue that uncertainty slowed investment in broadband under Title II when theexact oppositeis lawful . As a result , they catch newspaper headline like “ AT&T call for Congress to Pass Net Neutrality Law ” and “ AT&T endorses net disinterest . ” Meanwhile , friendly lawmakers likeMarsha Blackburnstep up with terrible legislative giveaways to these faker - monopolies , and legislator who frankly do n’t fuck what ’s last on get to say they set the job .
Stephenson ’s suggestion that “ all internet caller ” be included in whatever legislation goes onwards is a lucid feat to fix up some rules that ’ll benefit his troupe while suffer non - ISP rival in the quest for big datum . There are quite a little of good reasons why companies like Facebook should face expanded regulation regarding privacy shelter and other issues , but let ’s not blend these issue . Facebook does n’t set whether or not it ’ll take an 60 minutes for a internet site that ’s critical of AT&T to dilute . Google does n’t determine whether a website for a ship’s company that competes with AT&T will be blocked . chirrup does n’t adjudicate if customers should pay extra if they want to view Netflix .
At the second , the best selection on the table is for Congress to reverse the FCC ’s decision to repeal Title II protections through theCongressional Review Act . Right now , the Senate isone voteshy of overstep that legislation . It would still have to get past the Republican - check House and Trump ’s veto penitentiary . If that fails , sign upto get text messages about who voted against net neutrality and vote out the shills . Then essay again in 2019 . There ’s always the option to just sprain Title II into a invoice aimed at ISPs if they desire to kvetch about the uncertainty of the FCC lift its decisiveness . The most important thing to commend is that society like AT&T are the least trustworthy player in this game , and whatever they think is the best grade of action should be thoroughly ignored .
[ AT&T , Washington Post ]
AT&TNet neutralityTelecoms
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