Senators introduce bill to protect an “open Internet”
Following a similar move yesterday in the U.S. House of Representatives, three U.S. senators today introduced a bill designed to protect an “open Internet” by preventing telecommunications companies from controlling usage of the web.
The Internet Freedom Preservation Act, submitted by Senators Olympia Snowe (R, ME), Byron Dorgan (D, ND) and Daniel Inouye (D, HI), states that broadband service providers, among other things, “shall not block, interfere with, discriminate against, impair, or degrade the ability of any person to use a broadband service to access, use, send, post, receive, or offer any lawful content, application, or service made available via the Internet.”
Similar legislation was introduced yesterday in the House.
Both bills relate to the issue of “network neutrality” and support the interest of online retailers and other Internet content providers in preventing telecommunications companies from creating a fee-based, tiered system of Internet usage. (See “Tug of War,” Internet Retailer, June, 2206).
Amazon.com Inc., eBay Inc., IAC/Interactive Corp., Google Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. applauded the Snowe-Dorgan bill, saying in a combined statement that it provides “a meaningful, bi-partisan solution that will maintain an open Internet and prevent broadband network operators from using their control over Internet access to control the experience of Internet users and compromise the vibrant Internet marketplace.”
“The Snowe-Dorgan bill will allow innovators, entrepreneurs and investors who rely on the certainty of that open marketplace to continue to fuel the engine of our nation`s economy and our global leadership in Internet technology and services,” the group said. “Our companies join an ever-growing group of consumer and public interest groups, trade associations, bloggers, content and services companies, individuals and family and religious organizations who believe strongly in the open Internet."
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