Net Neutrality Will Increase Government Monitoring of Internet Traffic
Net neutrality calls for the Federal government to enforce standards on how online data is transmitted. But to accomplish this, there would have to be a significant increase in federal monitoring of online traffic at all levels to ensure compliance, including both the public Internet and dedicated private networks. Moreover, once inevitable disputes arose, federal courts would become involved, which would likely lead to even higher levels of monitoring.
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The FCC's 6 principles of Net Neutrality says nothing of creating a government entity to oversee ISPs. Ultimately, if they get caught doing something naughty, they will be levied huge fines by the FCC for breaking the law . There just isn't enough excess money lying around to create such a complex big brother, simply to protect consumers' rights to view the same youtube video over and over. We'll have to rely on the tattle-tell system, that's all we can afford. Also, I think having to choose a side for or against net neutrality is one thing, but having it worded as "Regulate Net Neutrality?" implies a different question altogether. I am FOR Net Neutrality, I am against setting up an entity to regulate it.
Tattle-tell system, entity to regulate it, they yield the same results. In fact the power of end users is a more powerful system than governemnt represntatives acting as the internet police anyway.
In the end, the government will have the power to punish and regulate ISPs. This is what we want to avoid, and with or without the money to set up an entity to regulate, the damage will still be done. Whether it be the public or internet police, it's really the lesser of two evils in my opinion.
The fact that there has been Network Neutrality present has not stopped the government from monitoring the Internet. Things such as Carnivore, CALEA, ECHELON and the recent Warrantless Wiretapping scandal.
Claiming that Net Neutrality will increase Government Monitoring of Internet Traffic is moot when they are already monitoring the Internet Traffic anyways.
In the recent FCC decision against Comcast, the is no new Federal monitoring regime. Instead, the opposite has occurred. The FCC told Comcast that it cannot snoop into its customers packets and discriminate service delivery based upon what it finds inside.
Network Neutrality means less monitoring, not more.