Should the Internet be Free?

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As the Internet has grown, so too has government’s desire to control its content and spy on user activity.  The PATRIOT Act, warrantless eavesdropping, and mandatory retention of user data are just a few examples of how the federal government has encroached on civil rights and civil liberties in the digital age.  What, then, should we expect when government is paying the bill for this service?

A publicly funded Internet will not likely remain the open, unconfined community we enjoy today.  Radio and TV stations have been under the thumb of the FCC for decades—the government justifies this by claiming the airwaves are owned by the public.  Translation: The government owns the airwaves.

Recently, the FCC has moved to create a nationwide “smut-free” wireless ISP, partnering with M2Z Networks, a private consortium.  This new network would filter any content deemed inappropriate for a five-year old.  Were the FCC to pour subsidies into other means of connectivity, we can expect the same level of control.  To protect children, everyone will be treated like children.

Similarly, the same government that brought us massive FBI spying operations like the CARNIVORE email monitoring program will assuredly roll out even greater domestic surveillance when it owns the “pipes.”  To defend us from terrorists, we’ll be treated like terrorists.