4 ms·
Apart from being doomed to failure, this seems like a stupid thing to legislate for. The one thing everybody in this debate should be able to agree upon is that
by zb 9y ago
Apart from being doomed to failure, this seems like a stupid thing to legislate for. The one thing everybody in this debate should be able to agree upon is that Title II is not an especially good regulatory mechanism for enforcing net neutrality, just the only one that the FCC is legally entitled to use. If Congress wanted to do something useful they could legislate to allow (or require) the FCC to enforce net neutrality under a lighter-touch regulatory system like the pre-2015 Open Internet regime that failed to stand up in court.
Of course if Congress does pass anything it all it's most likely to be a law to shield ISP from liability for not delivering the services their customers have paid for when they don't receive the kickbacks they want...
- mjevans 9y agoIf congress REALLY wanted to be useful, they could declare Internet access to be a first amendment right and providers of last mile access to be natural monopolies (to be regulated as such).
- tptacek 9y agoCongress can't "declare" something to be a First Amendment right. A thing is either guaranteed under 1A or it isn't; if it is, it's guaranteed regardless of the laws passed by Congress. That's a question for Article III tribunals.
- curun1r 9y agoLet's just start with a law that declares community-owned broadband infrastructure to be explicitly legal to spare communities the BS legal challenges that the telcos and cable providers always throw at them whenever they have the audacity to try that kind of thing. While they're at it, provide a fund to help municipalities plan and build out their networks. How do we make current broadband providers offer us modern internet services? Make them fear a world where they're competing with socialized last-mile infrastructure that doesn't need to make a profit.
- webbles 9y agoUh, yea I disagree. Title II is common carrier and is exactly what ISPs are. I dont give a shit about lighter touch regulations. They are a common carrier and need to be regulated as one. You fucking antiregulation corporate shills need to wake the fuck up.