Industry Groups Back To 'Negotiating' Net Neutrality

from the consumer-groups?-not-present dept

Following Google and Verizon's announced framework for net neutrality (a framework that has no real meaning), the FCC announced that it was no longer holding closed door meetings with industry lobbyists, as they were not fostering the "robust framework to preserve the openness and freedom of the internet." No matter for those lobbyists. They'll just gather elsewhere, without the FCC and continue to hash out plans.

I'm reminded of Adam Smith's famous quote:

"People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices."

But, really, I'm trying to figure out what the purpose of these meetings really could be. After all, these companies coming to some form of an agreement doesn't mean a damn thing if the FCC decides to push forward with its own plans. So, the idea must be that some sort of voluntary industry agreement could mean that the FCC won't make certain rules official, but again that seems backwards. The industry shouldn't be colluding to set up rules -- especially without anyone representing consumers' interests (remember them?). Rather than all these industry lobbyists hashing out some sort of agreement that might not mean anything, shouldn't we just focus on making sure there's enough competition in the market that keeps the most egregious possible actions unthinkable by these companies? Is that so much to ask for?

Filed Under: lobbyists, negotiations, net neutrality, neutrality