Jon Stewart Rips Google's Net Neutrality Flip Flop: 'We're F--ked' (VIDEO)

On "The Daily Show" last night, Jon Stewart skewered Google for flip-flopping on the issue of net neutrality--and violating its "don't be evil" motto--by joining forces with Verizon to draw up a controversial policy proposal for managing Internet traffic.

Stewart showed clips of Google VP and "father of the Internet" Vint Cerf emphasizing the importance of net neutrality in 2006. Cerf expressed concerns that "in the absence of some form of protection...broadband service providers will be able to discriminate against the consumers as to which products and services they're able to reach" and maintained that net neutrality was necessary to "allow new Googles of the world, new Yahoos, new Amazons to form."

Stewart mocked Google for changing its tune: "In four years Google, the 'don't be evil' empire, has gone from 'net neutrality will let new Googles and Amazons to form' to [Stewart begins screaming] 'net neutrality will allow new Googles and Amazons to form!' It's just a change in tone."

Should we be worried? Stewart reminded his audience, "Google doesn't get to write laws." But he continued, "They just photograph and post where everybody lives and republish every book ever written and negotiate with the Chinese government while building floating data centers in the ocean." He ends by poking fun at the activists protesting Google's headquarters, concluding, "We're f--ked."

See him discuss Google--the "Internet exploiter"--in the video below. Read more about Google and Verizon's proposal, and see reactions to the plan.

WATCH:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Internet Exploiter
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

Comments

[Amy Brouillette]

05:31 PM on 08/31/2010

You can tell Google what you think more directly. Google and the Central European University are hosting a conference on freedom of expression on the internet this September. They are soliciting video and text responses to the question: "What's the biggest barrier to free expression on the Internet, and what would you do to overcome it?" File by Sept 7 and top choices will be featured at the conference and on YouTube's CitizenTube channel. Wouldn't it be interesting if they had no choice but to feature responses that said: the biggest barrier to internet freedom is Google.

For more info see:
http://www.cmcs.ceu.hu/news/how-would-you-advance-online-free-expression-join-ceu-and-google-dialogue-and-submit-your-own-v

[sarapy]

10:18 AM on 08/24/2010

another video on the subject is here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBO5dh9qrIQ&feature=player_embedded

[stageplay]

02:35 PM on 08/20/2010

Google's unofficial motto is "Don't Be Evil"? Okay. And now we are beginning to see just exactly how unofficial that motto actually is.

[Sonofabeach]

11:49 PM on 08/19/2010

As long as I can still get to the Huffington Post....I don't care.

[kshirazian]

02:45 PM on 08/19/2010

As this guy proposes, just Stop Voogling and Ditch AT&T – You will live
http://bit.ly/csZwOl

[ZeroTiger]

12:50 PM on 08/19/2010

I love JS & TDS. I don't know what Google is doing. They are unraveling all of the trust and loyalty they have built over the last decade. It's sad really.

[BestGuest]

07:16 AM on 08/20/2010

If the witch didn't seem nice providing all the candy they wanted, would Hansel and Gretel have really fallen for it?

[TheFreedThinker]

12:03 PM on 08/19/2010

I am a big fan of Google, I've had a Gmail account since Gmail was in early beta, I abandoned Firefox for Google Chrome about a year ago when they released a Mac compatible version, and I automatically go to Google for search. After this ruling I uninstalled Google Chrome, use Yahoo and Bing for search, and am currently figuring out were to move my email account to. I hope more people boycott Google and Verizon over this deal. To paraphrase the Teabaggers, I want my internet back!

[obelis kreative]

01:06 PM on 08/19/2010

I've done the same, the only problem is that I use Google Analytics and haven't found a suitable free alternative yet.

[fromflorida]

09:43 AM on 08/20/2010

As soon as I read their 'pact', I did exactly the same thing (I'm Mac too). It seemed obvious, don't be a slave to guys who mean you ill.

Hadn't realized until then that I've been operating for years as if Google and the internet are the same damned thing, they'll have to finish making that dream come true without me!

Does anybody know where to find out how many people switched out of Google since their announcement?

[kidjudas]

11:39 AM on 08/19/2010

Stewart is consistently funny as Palin is consistently frightening.

[spider9000]

04:03 PM on 08/19/2010

We want Palin to go away. We do not need to keep bringing her up where she is not.

[JoeMomma]

11:31 AM on 08/19/2010

Google is way too powerful. They just became Microsoft.

[Dave Wolfe]

02:39 PM on 08/21/2010

Thank God they haven't become Apple yet.

[hereinmiami]

10:12 AM on 08/19/2010

you know, the way he consistently makes fun of progressive activism is really lame. i have seen so many amazing videos lately of people doing flash-mob style protests on a range of issues, and they're darned impressive. Such as:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-79pX1IOqPU

[pezdrake]

10:24 AM on 08/19/2010

In all fairness though, sit-ins, flash mobs, these are sparkly protest gags that have little impact. Real change will come when ordinary people sit down and write and call their representative to tell them to stop this - and these sorts of stunts won't impress ma and pa jones to do that, it will just make them think that people in support of net neutrality are flash mobbers and protest singers.

[zombywulf]

10:01 AM on 08/19/2010

Their new motto is " Bend over, we ARE EVIL".

[ThruSpaceAndTime]

09:29 AM on 08/19/2010

When Google first emerged the lure was the power behind the simplicity. The interface did what it was told without fanfare, hype, unnecessary tracking cookies, and so many other “innovations”…meant to “make your life better”. Alas, “We need to get paid” is the model and therefore Google must remain viable through profiteering. So it is for any company (I am not singling out Google).

How does one do what they love to do and sustain life to a defined standard? Who can blame the profiteers for thinking that increased profits are the goal? Talent that fosters innovation costs. Equipment and other hard assets cost. Lifestyles cost. Running a business is a serious responsibility.

I guess what I am getting to is, we claim to be so smart, yet we cannot get beyond the crude dog-eat-dog in how we manifest a marketplace. We claim to be evolved, but hitting the unsuspecting over the head is not old school (for there is no old or new school, school is out where it concerns faux dividing lines)…it’s old gutter, old and tired, and old and in need of a serious forklift upgrade. The look and feel of the club has changed but the affect is the same; intellectual content as product, thought on sale today, wisdom – half price. Our human evolution is noticeably slow. Our aggregate system is not as advanced as we would like to believe, for it relies on a large crushed base to support that miniscule top.

[dben]

08:54 AM on 08/19/2010

Funny how Demi Moore still comes off as a pretentious idiot doing voiceovers for Verizon commercials.

My comments are pending approval and won't be displayed until approved!

[Ralph Noyes]

09:30 AM on 08/19/2010

Mine too!

[dben]

09:56 AM on 08/19/2010

We're special. Thanks Arianna! We love being silenced!


My comments are pending approval and won't be displayed until approved!


.

[norkas]

08:06 AM on 08/19/2010

Goggle is so big now they are no longer caring about what the consumer cares or wants.

[Faxus]

08:04 AM on 08/19/2010

Isn't it odd how this happens over and over again? Give someone a little power and it instantly goes to their head. Google is on a dead end road. The .com Internet is not the final product of the information age. The evolving ability of individuals to freely network outside of the world wide web will sidestep Google and the efforts of business to literally force consumers to click on ads. Home servers unite!

[TrixieCDN]

08:55 AM on 08/19/2010

I was thinking along similar lines....A big difference between now and the old UUSENET and BBS days is it's gonna be a lot easier to cobble up the hardware :)

I am sure the telecoms will be trying to thwart this at every step....just like the last times :)

[paulabflat]

10:36 AM on 08/19/2010

can i hang with you two? thanks.

[paulabflat]

10:42 AM on 08/19/2010

'cause, you know, i've seen all the signs, the ads everywhere that you can't escape. limited commercial interruptions. makes me smile every time i hear it. knowing it's a lie.

i say we stick together. i, however, am not computer savvy and i didn't understand a sizeable chunk of what you both wrote. i may not know much about techiness, but i know what i don't like, eh? it will benefit me no end to have someone who knows.....things.

so?