websense

We’ve been hearing about this since President Obama took office. The federal government wants control of the Web. The reason excuse they are using is intenet security. Should there be a cyber attack, Obama wants the ability to shut down the web. The FCC chairman, Julius Genachowski is on board, big time. In a speech on Monday, Genachowski suggested new regulations that would give the FCC the “formal authority to dictate application and network management practices to companies that offer Internet access, including wireless carriers like AT&T and Verizon Wireless”(Ryan Radia). What does this utilimately mean? The proposed rules would essentially follow through on a campaign promise that President Obama made to make net neutrality law. If you recall from previous posts, this not only effects wireless carriers and internet providers, but it will affect many of our favorite tools and toys, and eventually on how we use the web and what content we are able to create and access on the web. Your phone for example. If you own a Blackberry or an iPhone, you may be dismayed to find that these new regualtions will mean that innovation of new products simply isn’t happening, due to the new policies of “neutraility and fairness”. You may also be restricted in what apps and content you can access from your mobile devices.

Speaking of fairness, the whole “Fairness Doctrine” will again come into play.
With the federal government as law or policy enforcement on the Web, we will begin to see instances of folks having to amend or take down content that does not provide tow sides for every story. There goes just about every blog I’ve ever read!

While all this is bad enough, the ultimate is the fact that Obama will have the ability to shut down the web whenever he sees fit. This is just outrageous, unacceptable and really let’s be honest, a power grab. It boils down to yet another instance of this administration making a grab for whatever it can get away with.

If you’d like to give your sentators and congressmen some thoughts on this, you can find thier contact information here:
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
If you’d like to read further on this topic, here are a couple of articles I found helpful:
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2009/09/24/ryan-radia-net-neutrality-fcc/
http://www.reason.com/news/show/136278.html
The impact this will have on companies like ours, as well as everyone who has a web presence, is enormous. Do you want the federal government telling you what you can and cannot print in your marketing? This is the same thing! They will try and control all the content you put out there. Watch out newspapers, they are coming for you next!