Civil Rights orgs sell out to net neutrality

The internet and telecom giants Verizon and Google have reportedly reached an agreement to impose a tiered system for accessing the internet. The deal would enable Verizon to charge for quicker access to online content over wireless devices, a violation of the concept of net neutrality that calls for equal access to all services. The deal comes amidst closed-door meetings between the Federal Communications Commission and major telecom giants on crafting new regulations. In a statement, the media reform group Free Press criticized the Google-Verizon deal, saying, “The financial interests of Google appear to have finally trumped its belief in policies to preserve the open Internet…The Federal Communications Commission cannot stand by and allow the biggest market players to create two Internets.”

-Reported on Democracy Now-

Update: Aug 5 2010.. Google has responded to all the headlines and reports about their conversations w/ Verizon.. They are saying they still back Net Neutrality , however, they are still in talks with Verizon… I encourage folks to follow all this carefully and read the articles below to familiarize yourself with Net Neutrality…

Here’s Googles response.

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9180192/Google_We_still_back_Net_neutrality

I can’t even began to tell you how troubling this is.. Its been all but absent on the morning newscasts who seem more enamored with a man we don’t know being discovered he was married on Facebook. Meanwhile I feel bad for artists who found the Net to be saving grace. Its just a matter of time before corporate backed major labels start following suit thus relegating indy artist to the slow lanes of the internet.. Remember we been speaking on this for a minute. With Google throwing down the gauntlet to cut a deal with telecoms versus continue fighting to protect Net Neutrality, one can see that day looming. I encourage folks to call their congress people and push them hard..And if Net Neutrality falls by the wayside be sure to blame all those Civil Right orgs who lined up with AT&T to help kill it in return for sponsorship of events and perceived HNIC status

He who controls the flow of information sets the tone..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWt0XUocViE

Please pay attention to what Senator Al Franken is saying Net Neutrality is the First Amendment Right of our Time..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LncSB5pMBU

Reported Verizon-Google Deal Means FCC Must Act to Set Public Interest Policy

R.I.P. Google ‘Don’t Be Evil’ Policy

WASHINGTON – Reports today indicate that a deal between Verizon and Google on Internet traffic management is forthcoming, and could be announced as early as Monday. According to Bloomberg News, the companies have agreed to abandon Net Neutrality protections on the mobile Internet. It remains unclear what the terms are for wired services.

At the same time, the Federal Communications Commission is convening closed-door meeting with companies to determine policies for the Internet.

Free Press president and CEO Josh Silver made the following statement:

“Two of the largest companies – Google and Verizon – have reportedly agreed to abandon consumer protections, filter content and limit choice and free speech on the mobile Internet. If true, the deal is a bold grab for market power by two monopolistic players. Such abuse of the open Internet would put to final rest the Google mandate to ‘don’t be evil.’

“If reports are accurate, such a deal would effectively create two Internets where application and content innovators have to ask Verizon and Google for permission to reach mobile Internet customers. Such a deal would make it more difficult for independent and diverse speakers to reach a broad audience and diminish the value of the mobile Internet as a new marketplace for ideas. It would mean that mobile consumers would no longer be able to access the same websites, applications and software as anyone else on the Internet.

“The financial interests of Google appear to have finally trumped its belief in policies to preserve the open Internet. A deal with Verizon cements its market power, and could make it more difficult for new app developers and software entrepreneurs to reach consumers.

“Congress and the FCC must act now to put consumers, entrepreneurs and the public interest ahead of the interests of these individual corporations. The agency must reject this framework and end the closed-door stakeholder negotiations it is now holding. The FCC cannot stand by and allow the biggest market players to create two Internets, it must enact real Net Neutrality protections that preserve openness for all Internet users, regardless of technology. We look to the FCC and Congress to deliver on President Obama’s pledge to protect Net Neutrality and promote universal access to broadband.”

Earlier I mentioned a mjor death blow was Traditional Civil Rights groups getting snookered , caving in or selling out to AT&T and Big telecoms. Here is a list of some of them..

Urban League Chapter

http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7020408309

http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7020400790

http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7020400568

http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7020408157

http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7020400510

National Lesbian and Gay Chamber of Commerce

http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7020408718

Hispanic Federation

http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7020408716

LISTA

http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7020408720