Issue of the week: Is net neutrality dead?
Google and Verizon purport to favor net neutrality, but their recent “declaration of principles” makes it clear that they have other ideas.
Hardball is coming to the Internet, said Rich Jaroslovsky in Bloomberg.com. Last week, Internet search giant Google and telecommunications provider Verizon published a joint “declaration of principles” laying out their vision for the future of the Web. The two giants offered “high-sounding language” about preserving what they called the “open Internet,” but it’s clear that what they really want is to kill “net neutrality.” That policy, which currently rules the digital road, dictates that Internet service providers “treat all information the same way, rather than cutting side deals to favor some bits over others.” Google CEO Eric Schmidt claims to support net neutrality, but like Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg, he sees the profit potential in providing extra-high-speed service to the highest bidders while relegating nonpaying customers to the horse-and-buggy lane. With Internet access tiered, 800-pound gorillas would thrive while little guys suffered. Google and Verizon are trying to carve out gigantic loopholes in net neutrality requirements for cable and DSL broadband, while eliminating them altogether for fast-growing wireless broadband.
Thank goodness for that, said Nick Schulz in AOLnews.com. The bureaucrats at the Federal Communications Commission interpret net neutrality as a mandate “purportedly to protect consumers from Internet companies bent on taking advantage of them.” Without net neutrality, this thinking goes, companies would charge high rates for downloading data-intensive files. But even if Google and Verizon really are plotting to gouge consumers, they won’t succeed in a marketplace where other heavyweights, including AT&T, Apple, and Microsoft, “are beating each other’s brains out” to win consumer loyalty. Besides, said Gordon Crovitz in The Wall Street Journal, we should differentiate among different forms of content. Consider the example of a woman implanted with a pacemaker that wirelessly alerts her doctor if she experiences cardiac arrhythmia. It’s perfectly reasonable to give that data high-speed priority over a video of “a squirrel on water skis.”
Google and Verizon aren’t vying to help little old ladies with heart conditions get across the cyberstreet, said The Boston Globe in an editorial. Rather, Verizon envisions partnering with, say, a Hollywood studio to offer high-speed movie downloads over its network. With such a deal in place, movies from a rival studio, it’s safe to assume, would stream “at a snail’s pace.” That’s why Internet consumers need a federal agency such as the FCC to keep “their service providers honest.” But in 2002, the FCC abandoned its responsibilities by defining broadband access as an information service, which it doesn’t regulate, rather than a telecommunications service, which it does. It’s time to rewrite the rules and bring the Internet under FCC jurisdiction. Or would you rather have big corporations regulate themselves?
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
4 tips for coping with election anxiety and stress
The Week Recommends Election news is hard to circumvent. But navigating the politically charged season does not have to be stressful.
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Detailed map of fly's brain holds clues to human mind
Speed Read This remarkable fruit fly brain analysis will aid in future human brain research
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Giant: 'stylishly crafted' Roald Dahl play is 'spectacularly good'
The Week Recommends Mark Rosenblatt's 'fearless' debut examines the character of the controversial children's author
By The Week UK Published
-
Issue of the week: Yahoo’s ban on working from home
feature There’s a “painful irony” in Yahoo’s decision to make all its employees come to the office to work.
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Issue of the week: Another big airline merger
feature The merger of American Airlines and US Airways will be the fourth between major U.S. airlines in five years.
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Issue of the week: Feds’ fraud suit against S&P
feature The Justice Department charged S&P with defrauding investors by issuing mortgage security ratings it knew to be misleading.
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Issue of the week: Why investors are worried about Apple
feature Some investors worry that the company lacks the “passion and innovation that made it so extraordinary for so long.”
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Issue of the week: Does Google play fair?
feature The Federal Trade Commission cleared Google of accusations that it skews search results to its favor.
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Issue of the week: The Fed targets unemployment
feature By making public its desire to lower unemployment, the Fed hopes to inspire investors “to behave in ways that help bring that about.”
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Issue of the week: Is Apple coming home?
feature Apple's CEO said the company would spend $100 million next year to produce a Mac model in the U.S.
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Issue of the week: Gunning for a hedge fund mogul
feature The feds are finally closing in on legendary hedge fund boss Steven Cohen.
By The Week Staff Last updated