THE INTERNET
REGULATIONS AS WE KNOW THEM ARE ALL ABOUT
THE CHANGE.
HERE IS WHAT AJIT PAI HAD TO SAY ABOUT IT:
THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY TWO VERY DIFFERENT SIDES TO THIS AND
HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW.
JESSICA ROSIN RUSSO IS A DEMOCRAT WHO IS ON THE
COMMISSION WHO VOTED AGAINST IT AND THIS IS WHAT SHE SAID IN HER
STATEMENT:
FOR HIS PART, AJIT PAI HAS SAID THERE ARE SUFFICIENT SAFEGUARDS
IN PLACE FOR BROADBAND TO NOT ABUSE THEIR POWER.
HE SAYS THERE ARE STILL SOME PROTECTIONS IN PLACE.
HE DID
NOT LIST ANY OF THEM BUT THERE ARE STILL SOME PROTECTIONS
IN PLACE.
HE IS FULL OF BS.
HE IS A TRUMP APPOINTEE BUT MORE
IMPORTANTLY, HE IS A FORMER LAWYER FOR VERIZON WHICH IS AN
INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER WHICH HAS LOBBIED VERY AGGRESSIVELY TO
DO AWAY WITH THESE REGULATORY STANDARDS THAT WOULD PREVENT
THEM FROM SLOWING DOWN THE SPEEDS OF THEIR COMPETITORS AND
OTHER WEBSITES THAT THEY DISAGREE WITH.
THERE ARE NO
SECTIONS PUT IN PLACE AND IF THERE ARE, IT IS TINY IN
COMPARISON TO WHAT NET NEUTRALITY ACTUALLY DID
ACCOMPLISH.
AND IF THOSE PROTECTIONS WERE NEVER SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE
WANTED TO INFRINGE UPON, THEN WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM WITH
THE REGULATIONS?
I WANT TO GET YOUR TAKE ON THIS, MARK, THIS WAS THE LIGHT TOUCH
APPROACH THAT SERVE THE ONLINE WORLD WELL FOR NEARLY 20 YEARS
WILL BE RESTORED.
I WONDER, DO YOU THINK THE INTERNET HAS
PERHAPS CHANGED SINCE I WAS IN PLACE DUCK.
NO, IT IS BEEN THE SAME FOR 20 YEARS.
IT JUST GOT MORE CROWDED AND NOW, A COUPLE OF IMPORTANT
THINGS.
LAST THING FIRST MAYBE.
THE ECONOMIC INCENTIVE
WHICH WAS MENTIONED, THAT IS THERE IN A BIG WAY SO THAT THEY
WILL ALMOST BY DEFINITION BECAUSE OF ECONOMIC INCENTIVE
CHARGE PEOPLE, WEBSITES, STREAMING SERVICES, ALL THE REST
TO HAVE A SPACE ON THAT BROADBAND.
THAT IS WHAT IS
GOING TO HAPPEN.
IF YOU WANT TO WATCH MARKTHOMPSON.COM, I AM
GOING TO HAVE TO PAY MORE FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO WATCH IT AT
ANY KIND OF A REASONABLE STREAMING RATE.
THERE IS AN
ECONOMIC INCENTIVE FOR THEM TO BEGIN CHARGING AND HAVING A FAST
LANE IN THE SLOW LANE AND WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN IN AMERICA
WHENEVER THERE IS AN ECONOMIC INCENTIVE, EVEN INTERNATIONAL,
WHEN THERE IS AN ECONOMIC INCENTIVE IT WILL HAPPEN SO YOU
WILL START SEEING CHARGES.
JUST ON THE POLITICS, THIS WAS
SOMETHING THAT EVEN UNDER OBAMA IT WAS THREATENED.
TOM WHEELER,
THE SEC CHAIRMAN WHO ALSO HAD ROOTS AS A BIG EXECUTIVE IN
THE CABLE INDUSTRY, HE WAS RUNNING THE SEC.
YOU SEE HOW SWAMPY WASHINGTON IS ALWAYS?
IT IS NOW SLOPPIER THAN EVER WAS, IT IS IRONIC THAT TRUMP HAD
THAT DRAIN THE SWAMP CRAP, THESE GUYS ALL COME FROM THIS WORLD
AND THEY NOW HAVE A HUGE VICTORY.
THERE'S GOING TO BE A
LOT OF MONEY AT STAKE AND IT IS GOING TO BE MONEY THAT IS
POURING INTO THESE PROVIDERS DUCK.
THERE ARE MULTIPLE FACTORS THAT MAKE THIS PARTICULAR STORY
SO DISASTROUS.
IT IS NOT JUST THE FACT THAT WE ARE NOW DOING
AWAY, THIS IS A BIG STORY TODAY BECAUSE THE REGULATIONS ARE NOW
GONE, EFFECTIVE TODAY.
THAT IS WHY PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT IT,
BUT WHEN YOU COUPLE THE LACK OF REGULATIONS WITH ALL OF THESE
MAJOR INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS MERGING TOGETHER AND
THE FACT THAT A LOT OF THESE PROVIDERS HAVE CREATED
MONOPOLIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, SO FOR INSTANCE, IF YOU
ARE LIVING IN CERTAIN PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, YOU CAN ONLY GET
TIME WARNER.
AND OTHER PARTS YOU CAN ONLY GET VERIZON.
A LOT
OF THESE INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS, TELECOMMUNICATIONS
COMPANIES HAVE PURCHASED MAJOR MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS AND
COMPANIES AND SO NOT ONLY WILL HE CREATE A FINANCIAL INCENTIVE
FOR THESE TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES TO ACT LIKE MOB
BOSSES DEMANDING MONEY FOR THE BEST LAID BUT THEY WILL SLOW
DOWN THE SPEED FOR THE COMPETITORS, WHY WOULD MAKE WEST
OF THE FREE AND FAIR INTERNET WILL CEASE TO EXIST AND IT IS A
DISASTROUS THING IF YOU BELIEVE IN A FREE AND OPEN INTERNET TO
INFORM YOURSELF IN ORDER TO SEEK THE TRUTH.
WE ARE NOW GOING TO
HAVE THESE GATEKEEPERS OF INFORMATION DECIDING WHAT WE DO
AND CAN AND CAN'T SEE.
THAT IS WHAT SCARES ME THE MOST AND IT
IS ALSO GOING TO BE INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE FOR
INDEPENDENT MEDIA TO THRIVE.
EXACTLY, AND THAT IS WHERE THE SHOE REALLY PINCHES BECAUSE
THE OPEN DIALOGUE THAT YOU GET ON THE INTERNET, EVERYTHING
COMING TO YOU AT THE SAME SPEED, ALL OF THE DIFFERENT OPINIONS,
SOURCES OF INFORMATION COMING IN IN THE SAME WAY AT THE SAME
SPEED, THAT IS GOING TO BE GONE AND THEN YOU CUT TO PLACES LIKE
SINCLAIR BROADCASTING AND THE CONSOLIDATION AND MONOPOLIZATION
OF OUR DEMOCRATIC PROCESS, THAT IS TO SAY, THE PLURALITY OF
THOUGHT AND ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT FORMS OF INFORMATION,
ALL OF THAT BEING NOW CONSOLIDATED AND MONOPOLIZED BY
A FEW COMPANIES AND YOU END UP WITH A HUGE COMPANY LIKE
SINCLAIR WHICH WE KNOW IS RIGHT WING NOT LETTING YOU SEE EVEN
ANYTHING THAT IS PROGRESSIVE OR LEFT.
THIS IS A REALLY DARK DAY
FOR INFORMATION AND YET ANOTHER WAY THAT THEY ARE BLEEDING
OUT THE DEMOCRACY.