The Telecoms' "Net Neutrality" ad buy

This story began to get serious coverage toward the end of the week-- but only on the blogs, of course. I think it's the first time I've seen a deliberate attempt to manipulate progressive blogs into carrying a right-wing message, but I suppose the faux-grassroots group that's actually a front for the big corporations gets some credit for sneakiness, since they're really out to silence progressive critics of Net Neutrality. A nice try, but if you watch one of their calculatedly 'homemade' looking ads, it becomes quickly apparent that it's just another heavy-handed right-wing scare tactic.

The basic facts are this: there was an ad buy on the blogs from a group called Hands off the Internet, which describes itself as "a nationwide coalition of Internet users united together in the belief that the Net's phenomenal growth over the past decade stems from the ability of entrepreneurs to expand consumer choices and opportunities without worrying about government regulation."

Except that this nationwide coalition is bankrolled by corporations who want Internet regulation. Namely, they want legislation passed that will allow them to control consumer access to content by charging for it. Sites that pay them hefty fees will receive priority treatment and more bandwidth. Sites that don't pay will be harder to access. Obviously, this is the opposite of 'the ability of entrepeneurs to expand consumer choices.' It's just a high-tech mob insurance scam that will make billions for the corporations and limit the flow of information to regular consumers.

Recommended reading.