Corporate Takeover of the Internet

For years we've been hearing and reading about the high level of control and influence large corporations have over our lives and our government. Now, Congress is attempting to pass a law that would nullify the Internet's "First Amendment" called Network Neutrality, which prevents large corporations from controlling what web content you're able to access, mostly based upon which site provides the greatest income.

The law is the COPE Act (HR 5252) Communications, Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement Act of 2006. Right now, no law or rule protects citizens facing obstacles to getting access to the information on the Internet. The COPE bill would make it impossible for those protections to be written into law or rule, making all of us vulnerable to big companies who would like to "own" the Internet and mine it for profit. Some companies like Verizon and Comcast have already announced plans to create a two-tiered Internet, where some websites and services would travel in the "fast lane" - for a fee, of course - and the rest would be relegated to a "slow lane."

Network Neutrality gives no preference to anyone with space on the internet. It is the primary force allowing economic innovation, civic participation and free speech around most of the world. The COPE Act would allow service providers to "redline" or not provide internet services to lower income and rural households that would not likely pay for higher-end, more costly services.

Just remember the recent news about Yahoo! providing data to the Chinese government that resulted in the arrest of a journalist writing information the government did not want revealed.

Think also about how the large multi-media corporations control what you watch on television, or listen to on the radio. Remember the titillating but more or less harmless Superbowl incident and the backlash that continues to haunt how media is presented?

In April this year, AOL blocked the ability of members to send email with a link to www.dearaol.com, a site against an AOL proposal to charge members for sending email. AOL is owned by Time Warner, which is also one of the largest cable internet providers, is lobbying Congress to do away with Network Neutrality.

There has also been a drive by the telecoms to charge for internet content. If they gain control of the web, you can only imagine what will be next. Think SPAM is bad now? What happens when AT&T or Comcast or Verizon or Qwest pushes SPAM at you in a way that you can't avoid or remove since it will be required in the Terms of Service Agreement? Something to consider.

If you would like to maintain the freedom the internet provides millions of people as a means of self expression, business opportunity, and communication, please contact your congressman and representatives to voice your opinion against this attempt to control internet content. Visit
www.savetheinternet.com
Common Cause
The Benton Foundation
for more information and to find out how your congressman voted on this issue.

Let your voice be heard.