The future of the Internet is in grave danger.

[annabanana]

(from an email I received)
http://www.freepress.net/news/2010/4/6/courts-can%E2%80%99t-take-away-our-internet

A federal appeals court ruled today that the FCC doesn't have the authority to protect Internet users. The decision means the agency can't stop Comcast from blocking Web traffic. It can't carry out the National Broadband Plan. It won't be able to safeguard Net Neutrality.

I’m a policy lawyer at Free Press. They don’t usually let me send you e-mails, but today is different. Let me explain how we got into this mess:

Two years ago, the FCC ruled that Comcast could not block online content, and Comcast challenged the ruling in court. Today, the court ruled in Comcast's favor, effectively placing the Internet in the hands of big phone and cable companies.

This decision exploits a loophole in current law — the result of overzealous deregulation by the Bush administration — that threatens Net Neutrality and leaves the FCC unable to achieve the crucial goals of the National Broadband Plan.

Thankfully, this FCC can correct its predecessors’ mistakes, reassert its authority, and close the loophole. (Get ready, this is a tad complicated.)

The FCC needs to “reclassify” broadband under the Communications Act. In 2002, the FCC decided to place broadband providers outside the legal framework that traditionally applied to companies that offer two-way communications services, like phone companies.

That decision is what first put Net Neutrality in jeopardy, setting in motion the legal wrangling that now endangers the FCC's ability to protect our Internet rights.

But the good news is that the FCC still has the power to set things right, and to make sure the free and open Internet stays that way. And once we’ve done that, the FCC can ensure that Comcast can’t interfere with our communications, no matter the platform.

To be clear: This court decision hurts. But it’s created the opportunity for us to fix what was broken so many years ago.

It’s our Internet, not theirs. Let’s take it back.

Thanks,

Chris Riley
Policy Counsel
www.SaveTheInternet.com
www.FreePress.net

P.S. We need thousands of new supporters to contact the FCC. Forward this e-mail to your friends and family, and share our action on Twitter and Facebook.

http://www.freepress.net/news/2010/4/6/courts-can%E2%80%99t-take-away-our-internet

[EFerrari]

1. TPTB have to hijack the net That's the only smidge of democracy we have left.

:grr:

[annabanana]

3. Just like they learned they had to neuter the "mainstream" press..

They have seen how the internet can throw a monkey wrench into their plans to tightly control what we can know and who we can communicate with.

[EFerrari]

6. Exactly.

:grr:

[kimmerspixelated]

2. Thanks Ananbanana!

I'll do my part!

[Uncle Joe]

4. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, annabanana.:thumbsup:

[Occulus]

25. Could someone please post that neat graphic of the tiered-internet-pricing scheme?

The long version, that shows levels of internet service that have a "+$5" on the right hand side?

I know it appeared in a post or two here at DU in the past day or so, but I can't find it....

[KonaKane]

5. Isn't blocking content "Denial of Service"? (DOS?)

DOS attacks are illegal. Are you telling me now that DOS attacks are legal?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

9. Its not DOS, and blocking unwanted content has been legal for some time.

Nothing says the email has to go through. ISPs, and bandwidth providers have options to not allow traffic from certain IP addresses/ranges today. Unless care it taken net neutrality would disallow that kind of self policing that was worked surprisingly well. Look up the Internet Death Penalty and Usenet Death Penalty. The better answer is to craft legislation that allows the good part of private network ownership to continue while not allowing the downside to thrive as well.

[troubledamerican]

16. Wikipedia D.O.S.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denial-of-service_attack

[ProgressiveProfessor]

7. Its an unlikely scenario that ignores some basis things about the Internet. Its mostly hyperbole

with some hysteria mixed in.

The court is right. Under current law the FCC does not have the authority to regulate broadband providers, bandwidth providers, and ISPs. That can be changed. Taking the approach "Free Press" advocates is neither appropriate and will not be successful. The reclassification would be fought harder and longer than either legislation or more court appeals. It also would most likely fail in the courts again. The better answer is to craft legislation that allows the good part of private network ownership to continue while not allowing the downside to thrive as well.

[blogslut]

8. Doen't it depend on the broadband provider?

Comcast is a cable company and cable companies aren't, as of yet, regulated by the FCC. However, AT&T is a telephone company and is most absolutely regulated by the FCC. In other words, FCC authority would have to do with who was providing the pipes.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

10. Comcast is an ISP, ATT is a bandwidth provider

I do not think that part of ATT is extensively regulated by the FCC.

[blogslut]

13. AT&T is my Internet Service Provider

As far as this bit where congress separated broadband from the rest in 2002 as some sort of reconfiguration of the Telecommunications Act, I'll have to look into that. This is the first I've heard of it. I wouldn't put it past those bozos in the big white dome.

[Odin2005]

12. No it's not hyperbole. lack of internet neutrality will allow TPTB to make information a...

...privilege based on ability to pay. This is a perfect way to prevent people on limited incomes to see things on the web from seeing what TPTB don't want them to see, like, say, this message board.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

18. Net Neutrality is important, but the cited press release is nonsense

Crap like it actually makes it harder....

[onenote]

27. since nothing in the law has stopped them from doing so in the past

why hasn't it been a common practice?

[wroberts189]

19. Nothing hyperbolic about it ..this was predicted 10 years ago. nt

[Odin2005]

11. SHIT, SHIT, SHIT!!!

:grr:

[liberalla]

14. Aww Shit!

Thanks for posting this!

K & R

[annabanana]

15. evening kick for a few more takes on this. . . n/t

[troubledamerican]

17. Corporatism: One Ring To Rule Them All

[wroberts189]

20. I have spent the last 13 years working for or owning an isp...

This is very very bad.

[FarLeftFist]

21. All your base are belong to us!!!!

[wisteria]

22. "Its our internet, not theirs" says it all. n/t

[JDPriestly]

23. Funny coincidence or someone's idea of a joke?

I went to the SaveTheInternet.com website, but when I tried to move around it and click on tabs, I received a notice that my broadband was not available. I'm not sure what to think. Was there an earthquake or some other actual interruption in my service?

[bc3000]

24. Correction: the future of the internet for users in the US is in danger

This doesn't really affect other parts of the world.

[defendandprotect]

26. Imagine the internet is rather inconvenient for TPB . . .!!! Sop it up while you can!!

[rhett o rick]

28. Yikes there were 66 recs and I rec'd and now there are 66. Hmm

We knew this was coming. We are fighting an uphill battle. CorpAmerica has all the resources to bury us, figuratively and literally. But I will fight them to the last. NGU

[GreenTea]

29. Republicans have always wanted to find a way to control progressive internet content...

Just as the republicans via their corporations control 90% of talk radio and television news by corporate media ownership - (Disney, Murdoch, ViaCom, GE, Time-Warner All contributors to the republican party, a couple of these corporations are in the top ten of all republican contributors).

Corporations - Comcast, AT&T & Verizon (also all big republican contributors) they want to control the content and what will be available for the masses on the internet.

Corporations stick together, to get their corporations conglomerates, monopoly legislation passed by lying using their media and not giving a damn about the American people -

But man, do the corporations love to wave the flag, pretending they are oh-so patriotic, when in reality it's ALL about maximizing their corporate profits above all else.

[lpbk2713]

30. *Grave* danger?

Is there any other kind?


:shrug:

[Enthusiast]

31. This is not just Comcast.

These corporations must stop the free flow of information on the internet if they want to continue to rob us blind and abuse us in hundreds of new and creative ways.

[Michigan-Arizona]

32. Signed the petition & sent to all my email contacts hoping they'll do the same