The move came the same day as the federal government decided to move forward on an official Net neutrality policy that would prevent ISPs from making those types of decisions.
The FCC's new rules would prevent ISPs, for example, from blocking or slowing bandwidth-hogging Web traffic such as streaming video or other applications that put a strain on their networks or from charging different rates to users.
McCain's bill, the Internet Freedom Act, would block the Federal Communications Commission from making Net neutrality the law of the land. The rule preventing ISPs from slowing down certain types of content would create "onerous federal regulation," McCain argued in a written statement.
According to a report at NetworkWorld, McCain "called the proposed Net neutrality rules a 'government takeover' of the Internet that will stifle innovation and depress an 'already anemic' job market in the US."
But supporters of Net neutrality argue that the rule is needed to ensure that Internet providers don't censor content, or slow down traffic to Web sites that are in competition with their business allies.
FCC chairman Julius Genachowski argued that "reasonable and enforceable rules of the road" were needed "to preserve a free and open Internet."
"The Internet's openness has allowed entrepreneurs and innovators, small and large, to create countless applications and services without having to seek permission from anyone," he said.
But, the FCC chairman said, there have been "some significant situations where broadband providers have degraded the data streams of popular lawful services and blocked consumer access to lawful applications."
Two Republicans on the FCC also voted on Thursday to go ahead with the rule-making process, which will be open for public comment until January 14, but voiced misgivings about the plan.
NET NEUTRALITY A 'MARXIST PLOT'?
As the NetworkWorld article notes, McCain was on the opposite side of the Net neutrality debate from President Barack Obama during last year's presidential campaign. During his White House campaign, President Barack Obama came out strongly in favor of Net neutrality, which is backed by companies such as Google, Amazon, Yahoo!, eBay and consumer advocacy groups, but opposed by telecommunications, wireless and cable companies.
Republicans appear to be shifting against Net neutrality and aligning themselves with the telecoms and cable companies.
This week, media watchdog Media Matters criticized conservative news host Glenn Beck for what it said was Beck's allegation that Net neutrality is a "Marxist plot," and that the point of Net neutrality is to "control content," a perspective that prompted MediaMatters and other observers to question whether Beck understands the principle of Net neutrality.
In his announcement today, McCain appeared to agree with the notion that Net neutrality represents regulation and control, rather than a lack thereof.
His bill "will keep the Internet free from government control and regulation," McCain said, as quoted by Phil Goldstein at Fierce Wireless. "It will allow for continued innovation that will in turn create more high-paying jobs for the millions of Americans who are out of work or seeking new employment. Keeping businesses free from oppressive regulations is the best stimulus for the current economy."
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- groups:
- Tech, News, Current Tonight, News and Politics, 5 more
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- tags:
- Internet, John McCain, Web, Net Neutrality, 1 more + add
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- RFIDemocracy
- added this
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Thanks a lot, Grandpa Dumbass.
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Yeah because keeping those pesky banks from oppressive regulations was definitely a great stimulus for the current economy.
McCain find your balls again and get out of bed with the religious conservatives. Or retire. To think I used to think you were a political maverick.
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Leave him alone, he's old enough to be my great great great gran dad! He doesn't know what's going on...
The people complaining should be upset at the people that voted him in, that's who you should be upset at.
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Coming from a guy who doesn't know what "an internet" is.
Some lobbiest must have written it, and hand delivered it to McCain with a campaign contribution check stapled to it.
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lets all hear it for the senile old war horse who should have been put out to pasture long ago.
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- tommytripper
- 1 month ago
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Way to go Maverick. Way to get Mavericky.
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if this move doesn't make it crystal clear whose best interests are being represented by the GOP, then not much else will get through to their mindless supporters.
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- Incredulous
- 1 month ago
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he just wants to let meghan's ISP block twitter :P
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...sweet
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I don't want service providers to decide which sites I can view, or when, or have to pay an extra fee to see them, or be forced to wait for longer loading times as an attempted deterrent to stop using other companies.
More people need to understand how vital Net neutrality is, or the won't be happy when everything changes and they start to feel cheated. Call you rep and tell them to keep Net neutrality! I've been doing that for three years and I plan to keep calling.
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John McCain voted against Senator Al Franken's amendment, Senate Amend. 2588, that would have required defense contractors to allow their employees access to U.S. courts in cases of rape or sexual assault. Now McCain is trying to block net neutrality. I really don't like him anymore.
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The republicans must really want this, He's just about the only one left with visibility, credibility, and clout. I have a nasty feeling this one may get through.
Al Gore voted the internet in, McCain is gonna try to vote it out again. And yes the internet will go. Without net neutrality it'll eventually be AOL all over again.
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- bombastinator
- 1 month ago
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Don't all of the internet companies that would benifit by having a neutral net employ more people than the cable/phone companies? Wouldn't forcing cable/phone companies to put fiber in the ground to increase bandwidth capacities also create more jobs?
I think the above post was correct. You can't have old people making rules/laws about technology that they don't even understand.
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So, we either get screwed by corporate or screwed by government... what a choice.
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what a dick
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- revolutioninamerica
- 1 month ago
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Sure, JM. Look to AOL for an example: What an engine of jobs, freedom, and innovation!
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- CritiqalPete
- 1 month ago
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McCain is freakin' idiot. That guy is so deep in ATT, and Cable Money his brain has a million channels of bologna. They republicans are trying to spin net neutrality as government control? Are you serious? Remember the neutrality part in the name. McCains bill throws the name freedom in there so the uneducated support it. Morons can you say payola?
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If you don't think that both want control and the FCC wouldn't regulate what goes on the Internet, you're sadly mistaken. Just look at main stream media. As the Internet currently allows us access to all free information in and out of the US--this will soon change either way.
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There is research that shows net neutrality would hurt jobs and stifle innovation???????
The US government originally created the Internet to be neutral and decentralized. We used to have closed services (Prodigy, Compuserve, etc.) that had complete control over content. They faded away in the neutral world of the Internet in the mid 90s.
I'd gather a true conservative would support net neutrality as long as their head wasn't too far up their elephant's back end.
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He's getting back to you for not voting for him... Republicans are revengeful...
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oh mccain, you old dick... i await the day you shrivel up into a raisin.
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I thought he doesn't know how to use the internet let alone a computer.
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people have been complaining a lot about Obama... look what would have happened if you'd all swayed republican again xD
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hmmm... this smells like censorship. I'm so not cool with this.
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don't mess with my tubes
