Net Neutrality is B.S. and John Oliver Calls It Out

Humor is a great way to point out why net neutrality is such bullshit and John Oliver does it better than anyone.

Do you like the internet? Or would you rather have it “owned” by corporations (e.g., Comcast, Verizon)? If you care to comment and let your views known, use Oliver’s custom URL to go directly to the page where you can make a comment: http://gofccyourself.com

UPDATE at 10:12am CDT

Here is the text I just submitted to the FCC comment form here:

The global internetwork is one of the most important advances in all of human history. As someone who has worked in the internet space since the 1990s (e.g., Vignette) and covered startups and innovators in Minnesota (e.g., Minnov8.com), as well as building dozens upon dozens of websites with one of our businesses (Innov8Press.com), it is clear net neutrality must remain and be enhanced, not deregulated to the point where ISPs are free to turn it in to a metaphorical toll road with incredible analytical and tracking capabilities built-in.

I believe that internet service providers (ISPs) and governments regulating the internet should treat ALL data on the Internet the same. They should not discriminate or charge differentially by user, content, website, platform, application, type of attached equipment, or mode of communication.

ISPs, like all corporations do and should, work in their own self-interest. While leaders within those organizations live and work in their communities, they have a fiduciary duty to their shareholders and thus work toward outcomes that maximize their competitive advantage and shareholder value over all other considerations. In short, they must focus strategically on their company instead of any other greater good while the FCC must focus on the latter and mitigate unintended consequences.

Consumer privacy *must* be protected. Entrepreneurs and innovators must be completely free to invent, disrupt, and even replace existing methods, processes, services and other areas that ISPs would inherently block in order to preserve and defend their businesses.

Unless compelled to do so through regulation, ISPs will erode a neutral internet, slowly-but-surely infringe upon the private online behaviors of consumers, and sway internet usage toward their paid services. It is in their best interest to do so and it will happen.

I urge the FCC to reclassify internet service providers (ISPs) as common carriers under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934. Title II classification would allow the FCC to protect net neutrality by regulating against paid prioritization and other self-interest behaviors that are not in the best interest of America.