Wheeler: FCC to classify internet as Title II Utility

[uebermann]

[Professor]

OK, I think I've admitted before that I don't know a whole lot about it. Many of you have educated me, but frankly, I don't see much of a difference being made. Put succinctly, will the internet tomorrow be different than today or yesterday?

Also, is no one worried that with heavy regulation will come rules? Think about it for a sec. Right now we've close to having a GOP-controlled Washington. Let's say that the next election gives them a super-majority in the Senate and the WH. We've seen what they want to do about marriage (one man - one woman) and abortion (it's a life, not a choice).

What happens when the President instructs the FCC to restrict access to porn sites, terrorist sites, or whatever? Is this not a concern for most? It is for me, but am I being paranoid?

[Philly]

I think it's more about changes that we won't have to worry about down the road than noticeable differences between today and tomorrow.

[Philly]

I'm also not an expert but I think one of many fears would be the following scenario:

Comcast is the only game in town so you buy high speed internet from them. While purchasing the Internet they offer you cable as well.

"No thanks I just like to watch streaming online content."

"Ah, ok sir. Would you like to purchase access to our streaming online library for 29.99 a month?"

"No thanks, I have everything I need on Netflix for 7.99 a month".

So you go to use Netflix and even though you have high speed internet, whenever you go to Netflix.com it's like you're working with some 56k shit. Turns out if you wanna stream online, the only site that your high speed connection actually works properly on is the one you have to pay them 29.99 a month to use. They're now controlling where you can go with the Internet connection in order to force you to buy more products from them to get the content you want. At least I think that's part of it.

[Professor]

Oh, I certainly understand that concern. I'm just not sure that a government that can tell a provider "you have to allow Netflix the same bandwidth as everyone else" is not going to also say, "youporn, you have to stop broadcasting videos of amateurs unless you have written permission from the people on camera to use their video."

[uebermann]

[Professor]

I understand that this is the problem that we are attempting to prevent right now. But what prevents my concern from becoming reality?

Them being a Title II carrier puts them in the same boat as other telecommunications companies. And, the FCC regularly tells TV broadcast stations that they cannot broadcast certain things (boobs, cursing) at certain times. What would prevent the FCC from enacting a rule (not a law passed by Congress - it'd be a rule enacted by the FCC) that says that internet providers may not allow porn sites to be piped into homes between 6am and 9pm?

[Spider]

*Rubs eyes and looks again*

No f**k way!

[uebermann]

[Professor]