Byron Dorgan and Olympia Snowe Want Probe on Internet, Cell Phone Content Blocking

[babylonsister]

http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/linkframe.php?linkid=44536

Senators Want Probe on Content Blocking
By DIBYA SARKAR (AP Business Writer)
From Associated Press
October 27, 2007 4:58 AM EDT

WASHINGTON - Two Senators on Friday called for a congressional hearing to investigate reports that phone and cable companies are unfairly stifling communications over the Internet and on cell phones.

Sens. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., and Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, said the incidents involving several companies, including Comcast Corp., Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc., have raised serious concerns over the companies' "power to discriminate against content."

They want the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee to investigate whether such incidents were based on legitimate business policies or unfair and anticompetitive practices and if more federal regulation is needed.

"The phone and cable companies have previously stated that they would never use their market power to operate as content gatekeepers and have called efforts to put rules in place to protect consumers 'a solution in search of a problem,'" they said in a letter to Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, the committee's chairman.

A committee spokeswoman declined to comment on the matter.

more...

http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/linkframe.php?linkid=44536

[williesgirl]

1. Wow - oversight - what a novel idea! Recommended

[BackHereAgain]

2. The Internet does not need oversight ala the phone companies, but net equality is a must

Regulation unless you get draconian like the Communist Chinese or where Italy seems to be headed is somewhere between impractical and impossible.

As usual politicians are basically clueless when it comes to technical matters

[babylonsister]

3. Whoa, YOU didn't last long! And just when I was going to welcome you!

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[robinlynne]

4. kicking!