Comcast Ramps Up Ad Campaign Claiming To Support Net Neutrality, Even As It Really Supports Killing It
from the truth-in-advertising... dept
We just wrote about how the FCC is now claiming that it will enforce its "transparency" rules that require some sort of truth in advertising. If that's the case, it might want to take a close look at Comcast's recent "truthy" advertising campaign, which it's running online, in newspapers and on TV, claiming that it's a huge supporter of "net neutrality." In fact, in a recent video ad, Comcast flat out claims that it wants to "extend net neutrality protection."Also, as Brian Fung at the Washington Post points out, the merger conditions only last a few more years. And then Comcast is free to do whatever it wants within the "new" rules:
But what Comcast doesn't say is that its commitment to "full" net neutrality expires in 2018. After that, it will no longer be legally bound to follow the 2010 rules, and it'll be free to abandon that commitment literally overnight. Comcast does not note this detail in its ads; nor does it explain how its policies may change in 2018.And, of course, the FCC won't do anything about this, and Comcast can continue to claim it as true, mainly because the FCC is pretending that it's currently proposed rules, under Section 706 are about preserving net neutrality. That's why Comcast is among those whose filings with the FCC were about how great the FCC plan is. Because it allows them (and AT&T) to pretend that they're "supporters" of net neutrality when the truth of the matter is that the plan would fling the doors wide open on the end of a neutral end-to-end internet.
In a statement to the Post, Comcast said the expiration of its net neutrality commitment was a "red herring" because it didn't have a problem with the 2010 rules and continues to "have no issue, long term, with them."
That's not the same as laying out what'll happen in 2018, however...
The problem, in part, is that there's been so much "noise" about what is and what is not net neutrality, that Comcast has embraced this incredibly cynical (and really misleading) plan to claim to be for full net neutrality -- even extending net neutrality -- when the reality is that it's actually supporting the FCC's current plans under Section 706, which have a loophole you can drive a cable truck through to end net neutrality, with the term "commercially reasonable." And, of course, since your everyday person-on-the-street doesn't know the details and the differences between Title II and Section 706, they might actually believe that Comcast has their back -- when it's really stabbing them in the back.
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Filed Under: ad campaign, fcc, net neutrality, open internet, truth in advertising, truthiness
Companies: comcast
Reader Comments
The First Word
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Little boy in the ad: "Yeah, dad. It's not working."
Dad in the ad: "Relax, kids. Let me show you what you need to do. See this icon? It's our VPN. You need to click this first before you watch videos online."
Kids in the ad: "Thanks, dad!"
Comcast: "We'll protect net neutrality by promising you access to the site, after we bilk them for millions so you can actually access it. It's not like you have a choice in the matter."
FCC: "Well, our hands are tied, but we'll huff and puff and pretend we can actually do something about this issue plaguing Americans for decades."
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Still don't know what to think...
Not sure any rules they come up with will have any meaningful association with actual neutrality on the internet.
What are we hoping to achieve? The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and hoping for different results.
We should instead, be petitioning or mobbing the government to break up the damn telco monopolies and tell the businesses to do whatever they want with their networks so that the damn market can decide! You will find that shit can be put right when you make real competition a factor again!
We are all lost as hell... "Fighting for scraps from someone's corrupt table"
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Anything that Comcast says and $5 will get you a nice latte at Starbucks
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Re: Anything that Comcast says and $5 will get you a nice latte at Starbucks
Perhaps a small black coffee, but I think that would only be a down payment on a latte.
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Re: Anything that Comcast says and $5 will get you a nice latte at Starbucks
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even more basic - note the wording
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i can't find out who is responsible for this mess...
literally, EVERY *theoretical* alternative ISP i called up to see about service, routed my phone call BACK TO MY PRESENT ISP when i input my zip code...
EVERY DAMN ONE OF THEM...
I HAVE NO CHOICE, and i can't even find out WHO the responsible parties are for WHY i have no choice...
county says its the state, state says its the county...
and NONE of them are interested in hearing about it, period...
so pissed off, am thinking about becoming a distributor for a satellite-based system which goes to a peering, point-to-point antenna system... if i had the money to burn, i would... (i'd rather burn the ISPs, though, fuckers)
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Re: i can't find out who is responsible for this mess...
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Re: Re: i can't find out who is responsible for this mess...
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Clarification:
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Now people are paying $10 a month for Netflix. Much cheaper than $60 month for Comcast cable. Plus there's some new punk on the block who kinda looks like a duck, offering live streaming internet TV names Aereo.
This current net neutrality debate boils down to last-mile residential ISPs not wanting to give up control as the gatekeepers of live stream TV access and On-demand movie rentals.
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Re:
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Corp Crush
Looks like, even though Comcast owns NBC, that they might have a secret crush on Fox news. Can't wait until they both show up at a party wearing the same dress.
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