AOL Outspends Google on Net Neutrality Issues

[Steven Bogos]

AOL Outspends Google on Net Neutrality Issues

Could AOL be the unlikely savior of net neutrality?

Net neutrality, IE: keeping the internet fast, robust and open to all, is an important issue to anyone who uses the internet (IE: you, reading this article right now). Most people know that Google, having the biggest tech lobby in Washington aside from the big internet service providers, is constantly fighting to keep the net neutral, but now it seems that another unlikely champion of net neutrality has arisen. America Online (AOL), the company best known for giving the world dial-up internet in the '90s and being one of the country's largest ISPs - has outspent Google on net neutrality issues.

The daily dot [http://www.dailydot.com/politics/lobbyists-net-neutrality-fcc/] has gathered a whole bunch of net neutrality lobbying data from the Sunlight Foundation, and aside from AOL's valiant pro-net neutrality effort, the overwhelming amount of reports being thrown in are anti-net neutrality, from big telecommunications corporations like AT&T and Verizon. You can check out this chart to the right.

Other corporations ranking on the pro-net neutrality list include Microsoft, Level 3 and the Writer's Guild of America. Apple, who would stand to lose quite a lot in regards to media streaming regulations, is no-where on the list, either pro or anti.

Needless to say, the numbers make it plainly apparent that AOL, Google, and others will need help in steering this conversation.

Source: The Daily Dot [http://www.dailydot.com/politics/lobbyists-net-neutrality-fcc/]

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[MCerberus]

What's Cisco's dog in this fight? Are they planning new throttle-centric hardware?

Also, hi music industry. Making sure people still don't like you huh?

 

[Orks da best]

I think a better name for the article would be how much more Comcost, AT&T and version are sending and spending compared to everyone else on that chart.

I mean look its like a diving board on the chat.

Also why are so many big names like Microsoft and Google seemingly holding back? Then again holding back till all the cards on the table may work...

 

[Roxas1359]

I'm actually curious where Cox Digital stands on there, because they aren't on that list right there. I'm sure they are probably against Net Neutrality, but damn I didn't think that Verizon paid so much for lobbying against it. AT&T lobbying for it doesn't surprise me in the slightest though, they already have shitty services here and now they can possibly make them worse. What sucks is that in my town the only 2 ISPs available are Cox Digital and AT&T. Roadrunner used to exist here, before AT&T basically ran them out of town.

Also, I find that AT&T is saying "we'll honor net neutrality for a little bit...if you regulators let us rebuild our monopoly again with the DirecTV merger. Tis depressing times we live in for sure. *glances over at the EU, which actually protects consumers*

 

[Hairless Mammoth]

What's Cisco's dog in this fight? Are they planning new throttle-centric hardware?

Also, hi music industry. Making sure people still don't like you huh?

Yeah, unless Cisco really has some evil new tech they plan to sell to the pro-fast lane ISPs, they are gonna loose some business, too, when the smaller companies give up upgrading their servers paying for new equipment and the fast lane won't fit the business model. Even the ISPs aren't going to upgrade as fast as their new prices would suggest. Most of that extra money is going into the executives' bonuses and to the future campaigns of their political supporters.

And the music industry in general is being idiots again. (It's the first thing I noticed on that chart. Fancy that.) Customers streaming their songs over and over means they'll get a recurring profit from the stream service compared to someone going on iTunes and buying the few songs they want once. In fact I could imagine a sizable user base streaming songs they already purchased just because they don't have their MP3s on the device they're carrying or logged into the streaming service on a friend's computer/phone. Again, greedy executives in these companies are being so damn shortsighted I'm surprised they got that rich in the first place. If we don't get the proper Net Neutrality back, I hope the resulting changes in the IT economy bites those guys specifically in the asses.

 

[Clive Howlitzer]

It isn't surprising that the telecom companies that drive me insane by cornering the market and forcing me to deal with ass service are also the ones sending the most money against Net Neutrality. I can only imagine what else they'll have in store if they could destroy that utterly.

 

[ExtraDebit]

Does this affect anywhere else besides usa?

 

[major_chaos]

Snip

Why would... I mean it actually says "lobbying reports mentioning net neutrality" right on the chart. but I suppose this is an object lesson in reading the linked article before whats posted here so I call tell how much is misrepresented/changed.

OT: I think what should be far more newsworthy than AOL puting slightly more effort into this than Google is just how dedicated major ISP are to opposing NN. Of all the corporations with too much power and government influence Comcast and AT&T are starting to catch up with the RIAA/MPAA copyright mafia in terms of frightening me with their dedication to jackassery.

 

[JarinArenos]

I think a better name for the article would be how much more Comcost, AT&T and version are sending and spending compared to everyone else on that chart.

See dyre's post above mine. It's not spending, it's lobbying reports.

 

[Strazdas]

Now i get it. the reason the telecom companies run extortionate prices with outdated infrastructure and still manage to run a loss is fault of net neutrality. after all it causes them to spend millions on creating propaganda in thousands.

Does this affect anywhere else besides usa?

Not currently however it can set a dangerous precedent and some countries want that. the only outside force that oppenly opposes this is EU who have confirmed Net Neutrality in law.

 

[exobook]

Not currently however it can set a dangerous precedent and some countries want that. the only outside force that oppenly opposes this is EU who have confirmed Net Neutrality in law.

Not quite, while they're moving towards net neutrality as legally binding law its still someway off from that. However most state seem to consider net neutrality a good thing. The UK might not go in with a European law, but is generally for net neutrality and so might make a domestic law.

 

[Strazdas]

Not currently however it can set a dangerous precedent and some countries want that. the only outside force that oppenly opposes this is EU who have confirmed Net Neutrality in law.

Not quite, while they're moving towards net neutrality as legally binding law its still someway off from that. However most state seem to consider net neutrality a good thing. The UK might not go in with a European law, but is generally for net neutrality and so might make a domestic law.

the UK will have no choice. you either comply with EU law or you leave the union. And leaving the union would be economic suicide.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Damn, this is pathetic. Money isn't just a form of freedom of speech in the US. It is the only freedom of speech that counts. You can't get the most basic common sense policies without a shitload of money. I wish nothing but the worst possible fate for all of your corrupt officials and the people that do the corrupting.

 

[Cowabungaa]

Does this affect anywhere else besides usa?

Yes, and that's the scary bit. Borders are getting more and more vague, especially on economic territory thanks to the recent trends in globalization and technological development. For instance, take the movie industry and the screwed up way the US treats movie ratings. That, in part, has an impact on what sort of films are getting funded in the first place and thus also what we in the EU will or will not get to see.

It's why I extremely lament the prevalence of, and in a way reliance on, American culture. Or put in a different way, the fact that American culture is spread so widely. And this net neutrality bullshit is just another reason; I not even remotely trust their political system, the immense power lobbying has in the US, and the global impact it could have, really frightens me.

Luckily, in the case of net neutrality the EU is a pretty strong opponent of this nonsense, but I can see it disappearing in the US having impact on a lot of services we use.

 

[epicdwarf]

Snip of DOOM

Simply amazing. It seems the escapist has went the way of other news outlets and traded journalism for shock value. This is happening A LOT more often on the site and needs to be fixed at once!

 

[hickwarrior]

Not currently however it can set a dangerous precedent and some countries want that. the only outside force that oppenly opposes this is EU who have confirmed Net Neutrality in law.

Not quite, while they're moving towards net neutrality as legally binding law its still someway off from that. However most state seem to consider net neutrality a good thing. The UK might not go in with a European law, but is generally for net neutrality and so might make a domestic law.

the UK will have no choice. you either comply with EU law or you leave the union. And leaving the union would be economic suicide.

Hang on, isn't the UK not part of the EU union or is is it partially part of it? Cause I remember them keeping their own currency because they though a union was BS.

 

[exobook]

Not currently however it can set a dangerous precedent and some countries want that. the only outside force that oppenly opposes this is EU who have confirmed Net Neutrality in law.

Not quite, while they're moving towards net neutrality as legally binding law its still someway off from that. However most state seem to consider net neutrality a good thing. The UK might not go in with a European law, but is generally for net neutrality and so might make a domestic law.

the UK will have no choice. you either comply with EU law or you leave the union. And leaving the union would be economic suicide.

Hang on, isn't the UK not part of the EU union or is is it partially part of it? Cause I remember them keeping their own currency because they though a union was BS.

The UK is part of the European Union and engages in it politically (no matter who much UK politicians and right wingers complain about it), engaging in meetings and following legislation from Brussels. However they are not part of the Euro Zone or the zone of greater political/economic/financial integration that exists round it. Britain opted out of this and other certain laws both to protect its "independence" but also the city of London which produces a lot of Britain's green economy figures.

 

[Citizen Graves]

God-damnit, if it wasn't for Jim Sterling and Ben Croshaw I'd f***ing avoid The Escapist Magazine like the plague.

 

[loa]

Why is this a matter of who spends the most and not about what the people want?
And how is aol spending one pixel more than google pro net neutrality news worthy if it changes nothing in the grand scheme of things?

 

[Angantyr]

Does this affect anywhere else besides usa?

Yes, and that's the scary bit. Borders are getting more and more vague, especially on economic territory thanks to the recent trends in globalization and technological development. For instance, take the movie industry and the screwed up way the US treats movie ratings. That, in part, has an impact on what sort of films are getting funded in the first place and thus also what we in the EU will or will not get to see.

It's why I extremely lament the prevalence of, and in a way reliance on, American culture. Or put in a different way, the fact that American culture is spread so widely. And this net neutrality bullshit is just another reason; I not even remotely trust their political system, the immense power lobbying has in the US, and the global impact it could have, really frightens me.

Luckily, in the case of net neutrality the EU is a pretty strong opponent of this nonsense, but I can see it disappearing in the US having impact on a lot of services we use.

Adding to what Cowabungaa wrote, and the original question. Yes, it will effect us in the EU, I cannot speak on behalf of Europeans, but only myself. But I do presume that I'm not the only one whose internet habits are dominated by US content. So the net-neutrality issue affecting the US, will inevitably also have an effect on me ( and fellow Europeans ). But uh, I'm cheering from the side line.