There's some big news on the astroturf front. Lawyer Chris Wolf and former White House press secretary Mike McCurry have both left the AT&T funded anti-net neutrality group 'Hands Off the Internet'. I don't know why they resigned. Perhaps they were bored with a losing fight, perhaps AT&T concluded that fighting net neutrality against a President who appoints gamers to manage part of the FCC transition was fruitless, or maybe there's some other angle here. Hopefully the telecoms will start cooperating with the public interest community for a universal broadband network and grab them some of that stimulus money, and we can go after the real bad actors here, cable.
It's very exciting to think that we may soon get ourselves a first class fiber network to the home in this country. It's about time. And the complete failure of Hands Off the Internet might help usher in the end of these astroturf efforts, though on that point I'm a bit skeptical.
Today's a day to wish these folks well in their pursuits that do not involve kneecapping the internet.
Techdirt goes after Mike McCurry for being the lying scumbag that he is. The new twist they discovered is that the well-funded Cisco and AT&T backed Hot Soup coalition is going to falsely equate copyright violations with spam and viruses to make the case the internet needs to be censored and blocked, as in consumers need to be protected from "viruses, hackers, malware, illegal file trafficking and other net pollution that puts them at risk." What this means is that these lobbyists are going to argue that videos that included copyrighted content are a threat to you, and that the internet must be blocked, filtered, and spied on for your own protection.
It's like an evil corrupt grandpa is tying to stop his grandchildren from doing their homework online because of something he heard once in a 1998 Sandra Bullock movie called 'net pollution' in which hackers steal his identity spam malware.
In non-financial crisis news, the long predicted alliance of telecoms and entertainment titans have joined up to fight for infinite copyright, unlimited spying powers on your computer by private companies AND against net neutrality. This time, the coalition is called Arts+Labs (though I am going to call it the Hot Soup coalition for reasons that will become clear), and it includes members AT&T, Cisco, Viacom, NBC Universal and the Songwriters Guild of America (SGA), and Microsoft.
The coalition is run by two savvy insiders, one from each party, so that it will be officially bipartisan and serious. Behind door number one is Bush campaign media advisor Mark McKinnon, who now works at a firm called Maverick Media and formerly launched the high profile success story HotSoup (edited by McCain advisor/AP political editor Ron Fourner). And behind door number two is our favorite former Clinton White House press secretary, Mike McCurry, who apparently doesn't mind his reputation turning to complete shit. (Hi Mike! And yes I still have those angry emails you sent me.)
This Thursday afternoon, Internet advocates across the country will be watching what happens at Stanford University. All 5 commissioners on the Federal Communications Commission will hold a rare public hearing on the future of the Internet.
For Net Neutrality enthusiasts everywhere, here's an analogy for Net Neutrality I hadn't heard before -- a restaurant service comparison. What do you think?
Oh, and for those of you in DC kicking yourselves for not being able to make it to Stanford, relax. You get your turn next week when the Senate Commerce Committee holds a similar hearing April 22. (Strategically planned on the exact same day as the Pennsylvania primary, to maximize news coverage.)
If anyone has illusions about how horrific Clinton will be as a President, disabuse yourself now. Here's Clinton's 'Innovation Agenda'. Notice what's missing? That's right, net neutrality.
And here's a tip as to what she's really planning.
Establish a national broadband strategy called Connect America
Clinton is citing a program called Connect Kentucky as a national model for expanding broadband penetration. Connect Kentucky, which is embraced by the telcos as a way of warding off net neutrality and a real internet policy, defines broadband as 256k, which is about 500 times slower than what's in Japan.
It's typical Clinton. Say you'll end the war, but with residual troops. Say you'll implement universal health care, but without talking about how you're going to get everyone to buy into it. Say you'll expand national broadband, but at a speed about five times as fast as dial-up and without net neutrality protections.
UPDATE: I should note that Clinton has been a supporter of net neutrality protections, and she may yet appoint an FCC that ensures net neutrality is enforced. I just don't think she will, because basing your broadband policies on Connect Kentucky is an indication that she isn't serious about dealing with the corruption in the system that actually led to the evisceration of net neutrality in the first place.
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