Big news from the FCC, America’s telecom regulator. Their feisty and energetic chair Julius Genachowski is planning to put some serious teeth back into Internet regulations.
Shields up!
A while ago the Supreme Court shot down the primary foundation for FCC regulation of broadband technologies.
One of the most visible likely casualties of unfettered ISPs pursuing unlimited profit guided by the invisible hand in quest of societal good would have been Network Neutrality. If you aren’t sure what Net Neutrality is, you can always ask a ninja.
It boils down to the idea that the owner of your Internet pipes – your ISP, like Comcast Xfinity – should not be able to charge you more or slow your connection because of what you are connecting to.
Why are you reading this on a cybersecurity blog?
Threats to the freedom to connect don’t just come from thuggish governments. If your ISPs are able to make it faster and easier – or cheaper – to go to the web sites of big corporations, that affects the choices people make.
Clearly Rupert Murdoch would be better able to grease the wheels for his product than would, say, Talking Points Memo or a Moldovan journalist.
Judging by the howls from the targeted companies, Genachowski has hit close to home. Looks like Congressional Dems have his back, but it’s breaking down along partisan lines.
