If you have something to say...
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If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
The Blog
Today, in an unprecedented move, AT&T shareholders voted on a proposal calling on the telecom behemoth to publicly commit to Net Neutrality on its wireless networks.
In short, net neutrality simply preserves the free, open Internet we know and depend on today. But is that free and open Internet really in danger? In a word, yes.
Arizona State University is going after free speech. If it gets away with this, other universities could be emboldened to follow suit. We must defend ASU students' right to speak online.
On the menu are AT&T's failed takeover of T-Mobile, a bill to set rules for spectrum auctions, a payroll tax bill pending in Congress, a bill to change FCC procedures, and Verizon's planned collaboration with Comcast and other cable companies.
It seems that SOPA and PIPA are dead in their current forms, but like zombies they'll be back under different names. I think there are a couple of lessons worth taking away from Wednesday's protest.
We have obtained exclusive video of the government testing the potential powers that it would be granted under SOPA, the Stop Online Piracy Act and PIPA, the Protect IP Act.
Today's nationwide protest of Internet blacklist legislation is part of a brewing movement to keep control over the Internet out of the hands of corporations and governments. It's a struggle that puts Internet users before information gatekeepers.
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons ...
There's a cold war of attrition being fought for the right to own the Internet, its content and its technology, and you're losing.
If corporations were people, here's a bit of advice: Don't enter into a Survivor game if Verizon is a contestant. Verizon shows an uncanny ability to get what it wants with a minimum of fuss, even if it means cutting out erstwhile partners.
A year ago I published "10 Big Themes for 2011" -- related to how the digital revolution changes business and society. It's helpful to review what actually occurred. Below are my projections and some 20-20 hindsight editorializing.
The biggest danger to the Internet is not some big shutdown, as we saw in Egypt, but a death by a thousand cuts.
Today, at the least, the Senate showed it was willing to stand up to extremists who would rather waste time with partisan measures than make good policy. But the fight for the free and open Internet is far from over.
Congress should not pass a resolution that lets a few wealthy corporations get away with hijacking our online rights. The open Internet is far too important to the rest of us.
Net Neutrality guarantees a level playing field for all websites and Internet users. It ensures that everyone has a voice on the Internet and that no one can be silenced simply because they can't afford to pay. We need to keep it that way.
I've said that net neutrality is the most important free speech issue of our time. It's true. If Republicans have their way, large corporations won't just have the loudest voices in the room. They'll be able to effectively silence everyone else.
