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Google, Facebook, Twitter to Feds: Man Up on Net Neutrality

By Sam Gustin

Amid the cacophony of reactions to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski’s proposed internet openness rules, one group has been conspicuously absent — the world’s largest internet companies. Not any more. On Thursday, the Open Internet Coalition, a diverse interest group that represents Google, Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, Skype, Amazon, eBay, and scores of other internet-dependent companies, will run ads in two prominent Washington, D.C., publications — Politico and The Hill — expressing their displeasure with Chairman Genachowski’s new compromise rules. The Open Internet Coalition participated in the now-infamous closed-door talks held by FCC Chief of Staff Edward Lazarus last summer. It didn’t end well. Markham Erickson, the respected tech policy lawyer who is Executive Director of the OIC, confirmed the authenticity of the ads in a phone conversation with Wired.com Wednesday evening. In their ads, for which the group paid tens of thousands of dollars, OIC makes a simple point: What Chairman Genachowski is proposing isn’t real net neutrality. This is the ad copy (emphasis original): “President Obama promised to protect the open internet,” the ad reads. “That means no gatekeepers. That means no internet access providers building toll roads or blocking traffic.” Here the group is making a not-so veiled reference to Comcast, which this week startled internet users after the cable giant got into a screaming match with backbone provider Level 3 over streaming video. “It’s called net neutrality, and it’s not a new regulation. It’s the way the internet has always worked.” Here the group is trying to make the point that net neutrality is the de facto standard on the web — which is why a lot of people take it for granted. The Open Internet Coalition wants to keep it that way. “Our companies, public internet groups, and millions of Americans are united in support of real Net Neutrality without paid prioritization that applies to wired and wireless connections.” Here OIC is taking a shot at Chairman Genachowski over what the group sees as a wimpy stance. Real net neutrality is code for “Title II” re-classification, which apparently scares the bejeezus out of Genachowski. That would have put ISPs like Comcast in the same regulatory category as the phone company, and left no doubt as to its authority to prevent abusive behavior by the companies that control the nation’s internet pipes. “The FCC is poised to act. We join President Obama in our support of real Net Neutrality. Americans should expect nothing less.” Ok, thanks for clearing that up guys. Full list of OIC members after the jump: Adaptive Marketing LLC Aegon Direct Marketing Services Amazon American Association of Law Libraries American Civil Liberties Union American Library Association Anglebeds.com Ask.com Association of Research Libraries Bloglines Chemistry.com Circumedia LLC Citysearch CollegeHumor Computer & Communications Industry Association Cornerstone Brands, Inc. Data Foundry Domania Downstream Dreamsleep.com Dresses.com Earthlink eBay Educause Electronic Retailing Association Entertainment Publications Evite Facebook Free Press GetSmart Gifts.com GoGawGaw Google Hawthorne Direct HomeLoanCenter.com HSN IAC Iceland Health Inc. iNest InPulse Response Internet2 Interval International iWon LendingTree Livemercial Match.com Media Access Project Media Partners Worldwide Mercury Media Merrick Group NationalBlinds.com Net Coalition Netflix New America Foundation North Texas Technology Council PayPal Product Partners Pronto.com Public Knowledge RealEstate.com ReserveAmerica Savvier ServiceMagic Shoebuy.com Shopping.com Skype Sling Media Sony Electronics, Inc. StubHub Success in the City TechNet Ticketmaster TiVo Tonystickets.com Tranquilitymattress.com Twitter US PIRG Vanguard Washington Bureau for ISP Advocacy Windward Instruments YouTube See Also: Net Neutrality Groups Push for FCC Action to Buck GOP Tide Court Drives FCC Towards Nuclear Option to Regulate Broadband FCC Offers Regulation Lite for Broadband Providers, Pleasing Few Read more at www.wired.com

 

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