NET NEUTRALITY

Very Important topic:

Mess with the Net and you will be sorry.

Count on it!

MyDD :: Direct Democracy for People-Powered Politics:

"Update: The bill passed 42-12, but not before AT&T got off its final counterattack, just before passage around 7 p.m. In the empty room, right before final passage, Gonzales, from the home town of AT&T, San Antonio, offered an amendment to require the FCC to make a study 'competition in the Internet world,' particularly what he called 'special arrangements' between Web sites and other companies. It would be similar, he said, to the type of tie-in arrangements that proponents of Net Neutrality said will exist with telephone companies favoring content. Such arrangements between Web sites and others, Gonzales says, would make it hard for a 'garage-bases startup' to make a go of it. Citing an article from Southwest Airlines' magazine, he noted that Google gets revenue from ads tied to searches and that Yahoo is 'fighting for deals.'

Democrats were flabbergasted. Eshoo, who represents Silicon Valley, said she was 'baffled by the amendment, because Gonzales, who earlier said he was opposed to regulating the Internet. This, she said, 'is about regulating search engines.' Markey said he was preparing an amendment to expand the study to include the top five telephone companies and top five cable operators, but didn't get to offer it. The Gonzales amendment was defeated 11-43, but Google, and Yahoo! and the others should be on notice. This isn't over. They are squarely in the gunsights."