Tech companies ask for unfiltered Net

[vniow]

WASHINGTON--A coalition of technology companies warned on Monday that cable companies might try to interpose themselves as gatekeepers between customers and Internet content.

In a three-page letter to the Federal Communications Commission, the group, which includes Amazon.com, Apple Computer, Microsoft and others, called on the agency to preserve Internet users' "unfettered ability to reach lawful content and services and to communicate and interact with each other."

"Despite our differences on the details of a solution, we are unanimous in our agreement that the government must ensure that transmission network operators do not encumber relationships between their customers and destinations on the network," read the letter from the ad-hoc alliance, called the Coalition of Broadband Users and Innovators.

 

[Thirteenva]

Leave it to the cable companies to go and put there nose where it doesnt belong.

I can't see how this would benefit anyone, to have cable ISP's start filtering the web. If my broadband provider does this we're gonna have some words.

Are they gonna start blocking certain sections of the web and charge for them as "premium services". lol....

 

[Nipsy]

It'll probably start with pared down news servers (alt.binaries.bye-bye), and proxies which block known warez sites.

Then the floodgates will open, and they'll try to trim any bandwidth hogs they can...once they are imbued with newfound power, expect to see ruthless tactics like incomplete DNS. I was in China last month, and was amazed at the hoops I had to jump through to get to some sites. If a gov't can do it effectively, private industry can do it blindfolded.

You can get around most of the cable companies known limitations, but the fact is you shouldn't have to, ever. My grandma doens't spend much time on alt.bianries.punk, but she should have the ability to if she gets out of her big band on vinyl 78s "phase".