Net Neutrality & Mobile Neutrality
I borrowed this from Ben. We’ve been fighting a few small battles over at Mobile Commons and have ended up in the thick of this mess. We’re going to stay mum for a few days, but after that there is a serious blog post coming about neutrality, protocols, business, and what happens when there is too much at stake.Verizon Wireless files suit over FCC auction rules
Verizon Wireless has asked a federal court to overturn open-access rules that the U.S. Federal Communications Commission is imposing on the winner of valuable wireless airwaves to be auctioned this winter.
In a lawsuit filed on Monday, Verizon Wireless asked the U.S. Court of the Appeals for the District of Columbia to strike down the FCC conditions, which would require the winner of the new spectrum to let consumers connect using any device or software.
Currently, wireless carriers restrict the models of cell phones that can be used on their networks. They also limit the software that can be downloaded onto them, such as ring tones, music or Web browser software.
Verizon Rejects Abortion Rights Group’s Messages
Saying it had the right to block “controversial or unsavory” text messages, Verizon Wireless has rejected a request from Naral Pro-Choice America, the abortion rights group, to make Verizon’s mobile network available for a text-message program.
“No company should be allowed to censor the message we want to send to people who have asked us to send it to them,” Ms. Keenan said. “Regardless of people’s political views, Verizon customers should decide what action to take on their phones. Why does Verizon get to make that choice for them?”
Messages urging political action are generally thought to be at the heart of what the First Amendment protects. But the First Amendment limits government power, not that of private companies like Verizon.
This is NOT OKAY!
(via Benjamin Stein)
