Net Neutrality: Dorgan-Snowe Bill
Network neutrality, referring to the non-discriminative treatment of Internet content, has been a hot issue ever since legislation attempting to ban regulation was not passed back in 2006. In response to legislative failures, Senators Byron Dorgan and Olympia Snowe have introduced a new, but very similar bill that continues to fight internet regulation. As of right now, web access providers have the right to block and, or slow certain content from certain content providers. This, according to Dorgan and Snowe, "threatens the democratic nature of the internet". Their bill, which will be discussed in this essay, intends to protect the freedom of the net.
The bill began in January of 2007 and was headed by Senators Olympia Snowe and North Dakota Democrat Byron Dorgan. Dorgan has been known as a leader in the fight to protect the interests of rural America and the freedom of the internet. Along with Republican Senator Olympia Snowe from Maine, the two have joined forces to bring attention to the importance of keeping the internet an open-wire for "civic engagement, exposure to information and opportunity for education" (Schejter and Yemini).
The original bill from 2006 targeted specific large organizations including Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft for purposely discriminating against non-commercial content on their servers. Opposition to the bill claims that advancing broadband capabilities, and therefore enhancing users internet experience, relies on the money gained from channeling users toward commercial content, and, in turn, away from non-commercial content and content providers. However, activists including Dorgan and Snowe argue that these things can be done regardless of monetary funding from big businesses.
Those for the banning of internet regulation urge others to see the danger of putting the power of the internet into the hands of the few instead of the intended hands of the users. In recent news, the Federal Communications Commission, who is now handling the issue, is holding a public discussion at Harvard University on February 26th to get a wider perspective on the subject. The debate over net neutrality is still obviously very prevalent and in need of attention. Even Presidential hopefuls Obama and Clinton are co-sponsoring the bill. Hopefully for net neutrality legislation, the second times a charm.
Triplett, W. (2008, February 13). Net neutrality sesh for FCC. Daily Variety.
Todd Hearne, Dorgan, Snowe Introduce Net-Neutrality Bill, Multichannel News, Jan. 9, 2007, available at http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6405766.html.
The bill began in January of 2007 and was headed by Senators Olympia Snowe and North Dakota Democrat Byron Dorgan. Dorgan has been known as a leader in the fight to protect the interests of rural America and the freedom of the internet. Along with Republican Senator Olympia Snowe from Maine, the two have joined forces to bring attention to the importance of keeping the internet an open-wire for "civic engagement, exposure to information and opportunity for education" (Schejter and Yemini).
The original bill from 2006 targeted specific large organizations including Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft for purposely discriminating against non-commercial content on their servers. Opposition to the bill claims that advancing broadband capabilities, and therefore enhancing users internet experience, relies on the money gained from channeling users toward commercial content, and, in turn, away from non-commercial content and content providers. However, activists including Dorgan and Snowe argue that these things can be done regardless of monetary funding from big businesses.
Those for the banning of internet regulation urge others to see the danger of putting the power of the internet into the hands of the few instead of the intended hands of the users. In recent news, the Federal Communications Commission, who is now handling the issue, is holding a public discussion at Harvard University on February 26th to get a wider perspective on the subject. The debate over net neutrality is still obviously very prevalent and in need of attention. Even Presidential hopefuls Obama and Clinton are co-sponsoring the bill. Hopefully for net neutrality legislation, the second times a charm.
Triplett, W. (2008, February 13). Net neutrality sesh for FCC. Daily Variety.
Todd Hearne, Dorgan, Snowe Introduce Net-Neutrality Bill, Multichannel News, Jan. 9, 2007, available at http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6405766.html.
1 comment:
Your essay was very knowledgeable and had creditable sources. The essay was fair to both sides of the issue. The essay was very clear and had detail. This essay was also very appropriate and well constructed.
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