This morning an a story came over from Newsmax.com about Washington moving toward Federal regulation of the Internet. Guess it is to help enforce the McCain-Feingold Incumbent Law for bloggers. Moveon.org people are wanting a "Net Nuetrality" rule to help them shut down sites like THR.
Below is a cut and paste of the article:
Dave Eberhart, NewsMax.com
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
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WASHINGTON -- A group of 24 conservative organizations have announced the formation of the Internet Freedom Coalition (IFC, www.internetfreedomcoalition.org) to oppose "net neutrality" regulations, which the groups say mark the first major attempt by Washington to regulate the Internet.
"We're proud to join with other leading free market and faith-based organizations to ensure that the Internet remains driven by the free market, not by Washington bureaucrats and politicians," said Jason Wright, president of the Institute for Liberty and IFC co-director.
At issue is a brewing battle that pits cable and telephone companies that provide Internet service – including AT&T and Verizon – against major Internet players such as Google and Amazon and large-scale users like the left-wing MoveOn.org, who support the net neutrality regulations opposed by the IFC.
The Internet providers are lobbying to create a two-tiered Internet in which Web sites that pay them large fees would get priority, including the all-important boon of faster loading. Last year phone companies spent $60 million lobbying at the federal level, and Verizon alone contributed more than $81 million to Congress between 1998 and 2005.
What the users like MoveOn want is the so-called net neutrality legislation, which would require all Web sites to continue to be treated equally.
While that may appear to many to be a desirable move, the conservative groups warn that it would open the door to U.S. government regulation of the Internet, allowing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to use this likely popular issue to sink its claws into the currently unfettered Internet.
MoveOn recently sent out an e-mail asking its 3 million-plus e-mail contacts to sign a petition asking Congress to vote for "meaningful and enforceable net neutrality laws," saying such legislation "prevents AT&T from choosing which Web sites open most easily for you based on which site pays AT&T more."
The IFC's Wright has countered: "The big government, pro-regulation crowd wants the government to regulate the Internet. Speaking on behalf of our collective membership of over 3 million citizens, we oppose network neutrality and any other form of regulation or taxation of the Internet.
"Make no mistake: network neutrality is the first giant leap toward government regulation of the Internet."
The current featured player in the dispute is Ted Stevens, R-Ala., chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, who has released a 135-page draft telecommunications bill – a re-write of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
Absent from the legislation, however, are any regulations related to net neutrality, which means there is nothing in the bill to grant the FCC power to enforce net neutrality concepts.
Currently, the Internet is regulated by a U.S.-based, non-governmental organization, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. If MoveOn and its allies have their way, a federal agency, the FCC, would gain unprecedented control over the Internet.
Below is a cut and paste of the article:
Dave Eberhart, NewsMax.com
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Print Friendly Version
Forward this Page
E-mail NewsMax
RSS Feed
WASHINGTON -- A group of 24 conservative organizations have announced the formation of the Internet Freedom Coalition (IFC, www.internetfreedomcoalition.org) to oppose "net neutrality" regulations, which the groups say mark the first major attempt by Washington to regulate the Internet.
"We're proud to join with other leading free market and faith-based organizations to ensure that the Internet remains driven by the free market, not by Washington bureaucrats and politicians," said Jason Wright, president of the Institute for Liberty and IFC co-director.
At issue is a brewing battle that pits cable and telephone companies that provide Internet service – including AT&T and Verizon – against major Internet players such as Google and Amazon and large-scale users like the left-wing MoveOn.org, who support the net neutrality regulations opposed by the IFC.
The Internet providers are lobbying to create a two-tiered Internet in which Web sites that pay them large fees would get priority, including the all-important boon of faster loading. Last year phone companies spent $60 million lobbying at the federal level, and Verizon alone contributed more than $81 million to Congress between 1998 and 2005.
What the users like MoveOn want is the so-called net neutrality legislation, which would require all Web sites to continue to be treated equally.
While that may appear to many to be a desirable move, the conservative groups warn that it would open the door to U.S. government regulation of the Internet, allowing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to use this likely popular issue to sink its claws into the currently unfettered Internet.
MoveOn recently sent out an e-mail asking its 3 million-plus e-mail contacts to sign a petition asking Congress to vote for "meaningful and enforceable net neutrality laws," saying such legislation "prevents AT&T from choosing which Web sites open most easily for you based on which site pays AT&T more."
The IFC's Wright has countered: "The big government, pro-regulation crowd wants the government to regulate the Internet. Speaking on behalf of our collective membership of over 3 million citizens, we oppose network neutrality and any other form of regulation or taxation of the Internet.
"Make no mistake: network neutrality is the first giant leap toward government regulation of the Internet."
The current featured player in the dispute is Ted Stevens, R-Ala., chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, who has released a 135-page draft telecommunications bill – a re-write of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
Absent from the legislation, however, are any regulations related to net neutrality, which means there is nothing in the bill to grant the FCC power to enforce net neutrality concepts.
Currently, the Internet is regulated by a U.S.-based, non-governmental organization, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. If MoveOn and its allies have their way, a federal agency, the FCC, would gain unprecedented control over the Internet.
