War on Internet Democracy
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The Internet has been the place where Davids can take on Goliaths. But if the Internet service providers have their way, that will no longer be the case.
This week, the House is expected to vote on something termed, in perfect Orwellian prose, the “Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement Act of 2006.” It will be the first real battle in the coming War of Internet Democracy.
On one side are the companies that pipe the Internet into our homes and businesses. These include telecom giants like AT&T and Verizon, and cable companies like Comcast. Call them the pipe companies.
On the other side are the people and businesses that send Internet content through the pipes. Some are big outfits like Yahoo, Google, and Amazon, big financial institutions like Bank of America and Citigroup, and giant media companies soon to pump lots of movies and TV shows on to the Internet.
But most content providers are little guys.