The issue of Net Neutrality is one that anyone who blogs or uses the Internet as a medium definitely needs to be paying attention to. This video explains beautifully the issue of how it is imperative to keep a free and open Internet not wrought with government and corporate intervention. The good folks at Save The Internet explain it best “Net Neutrality is the reason why the Internet has driven economic innovation, democratic participation, and free speech online.
It protects the consumer’s right to use any equipment, content, application or service on a non-discriminatory basis without interference from the network provider. With Net Neutrality, the network’s only job is to move data — not choose which data to privilege with higher quality service.”Large telecom companies such as AT&T, Verizon, Time Warner and Comcast have been under fire for wanting more control of what Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens called the “innertubes.”
The issue of having gatekeepers who can basically determine what Internet users can find quickly, or slowly, has been termed discrimination. And to a larger degree, it is. The Internet has completely changed communications in the past fifteen years. With the issue of governmental tampering, there are questions of what is going to happen for common users.In Memphis last year, The Media Reform conference was held where big hitters such as Bill Moyers, Jesse Jackson, White House Correspondent Helen Thomas, Phil Donahue, Jane Fonda, Duncan Black (of Atrios fame), Steve Cohen and others met with people around the nation to discuss the issue of Net Neutrality and how large corporate interests were trying to impede usability of the Internet.
The next Media Reform conference will be held this summer in Minneapolis in June.Moyers said in January of 2007 these words:“This is crucial. This is crucial, because in a few years, virtually all media will be delivered by high-speed broadband. And without equality of access, the Net can become just like cable television where the provider decides what you see and what you pay. After all, the Bush Department of Justice had blessed the deal last October without a single condition or statement of concern. But they hadn’t reckoned with Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein, and they hadn’t reckoned with this movement.
Free Press and SavetheInternet.com orchestrated 800 organizations, a million and a half petitions, countless local events, legions of homemade videos, smart collaboration with allies and industry, and a top shelf communications campaign. Who would have imagined that sitting together in the same democratic broadband pew would be the Christian Coalition, Gun Owners of America, Common Cause, and Moveon.org? Who would have imagined that these would link arms with some of the powerful new media companies to fight for the Internet’s First Amendment?”
You will see more of the fight for Net Neutrality as people fight together to ensure that the Internet remains accessible. The video above breaks it down beautifully. And it is something that anyone who utilizes the Internet as a form of free expression might want to keep an eye on.
