http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wium/local-wium-915117.mp3
Macomb, IL – The panelists talk about a corporate power grab regarding the Internet.
Verizon, AT&T, Comcast, and Google want to do away with the net neutrality, which is the concept that anyone can post anything on-line without seeking permission. The companies have been meeting with the FCC to push their plan, which would favor bigger, richer, and more powerful interests.
In the process, they've been flexing their fiscal muscles. The Center for Responsive Politics reports the companies spent more than $20 million lobbying the federal government during the first quarter of the year.
As part of their public campaign to do away with net neutrality, the four companies claim the government is trying to gain greater control over the Internet. But critics say these service providers are the ones guilty of trying to control the flow of information.