Posted on 12/17/2017 7:57:21 AM PST by Kaslin
Now that net neutrality has ended and the internet’s been shut down, hordes of confused peasants roam America’s formerly bustling highways on foot, trudging along as they stare forlornly at their now-useless mobile devices which used to connect them to the rest of the world. Those few of you clever enough to have hooked into the Russian-run dark web and are still able to read the content at Hot Air may have some good news to share with them, however. Net neutrality is coming back, baby!
There’s just one catch. You’ll have to go to California to enjoy it so you’d best loot some comfortable hiking shoes from one of the abandoned Walmarts and hit the road.
California state Sen. Scott Wiener vowed Thursday to introduce a bill that would require net neutrality in California.
Following the Federal Communication Commission’s repeal of net neutrality Thursday, Wiener (D-San Francisco) wrote on a Medium post:
“There are several ways we can bring net neutrality to California. California can regulate business practices to require net neutrality, condition state contracts on adhering to net neutrality, and require net neutrality as part of cable franchise agreements, as a condition to using the public right-of-way for internet infrastructure, and in broadband packages.”
Net neutrality, a principle that Internet service providers should provide equal access to web content, has been fiercely championed by tech entrepreneurs.
Being a states’ rights advocate, I suppose California can do whatever they like, at least up to a point. But has anyone explained to senator Wiener how this whole internet thing works? (It’s like a series of tubes, you see…)
California doesn’t have their own internet. (Which is kind of a shame because if they did, the rest of us could simply filter them out.) So if they’re going to impose state-level regulations on entities which operate on a national and, in most cases, international basis, that means that those providers and associated entities are going to need to set up an entirely separate service structure for users inside that one state. (Well… possibly two states, since Washington is talking about it too.) That’s going to cost extra most likely. And who is going to pay those additional costs for special services? If you said the service providers will just suck it up, buy yourself a ticket to Venezuela where such thinking is all the rage.
Of course, the end users will have to foot the bill. Which means that Californians will wind up paying more for the same service everyone else is receiving because of state-level government regulations. Of course, we’re talking about California here, so that’s just a fact of life already. Perhaps nobody will notice.
Or perhaps they will. Earlier this year the citizens of the Golden State finally rose up on their hind legs and began working to repeal a massive gas tax increase which was put in place to fund even more of California’s endless mandates and schemes. That one jacked up their state gas taxes to nearly fifty cents a gallon. When all of their internet services become similarly more expensive, will they push back again?
Best of luck, Californians. Remember… when the revolution begins, you’ll want to chat with the folks who voted in all those gun control laws too.
Looks like their happy with their leadership
Good for them. It is a state issue.
It won’t be long and California will be Venezuela.
If Obama being for it didn’t make it clear net neutrality was a bad idea, California looking to make it law should make it crystal clear.
California, here I come.......not.
Yes, EVERYTHING should be a state issue.
The federal government is told how to run by the constitution. If it’s not there, it’s a state issue.
Can you imagine how this would have played out had President Trump done this.
Another reason to avoid California like the plague.
True that.
Would seem to run afoul of the lefties’ notion of the Commerce Clause.
LOL — Good luck with the mess they’ll be creating for their citizens. Perhaps they can mandate FREE internet for their illegal alien occupiers and other “downtrodden groups”.
Mark
Please don’t make a generalization like that. Everyone I talk to Loathes, Despises, and Hates Jerry Brown and his RAT cohorts. Hitler would have recruited them all.
So California is practicing federalism?
Hey, knock yourself out. Good luck, and keep in in your borders.
The idea of trying to restore the restraints of NN at a state level is nearly impossible. I think this fool is virtue signaling. but let them try, I hope they do. It will just make Ca even more expensive to live in. Jeez these people are nuts.
You can’t require net neutrality in California - it’s technologically IMPOSSIBLE to guarantee because the traffic will inevitably come from out of state.
That’s why it’s a federal issue - DUH.
Net Neutrality was NEVER about fairness or equality but about government control over CONTENT on the internet. The left is pissed that they can’t control the narrative on the internet and they want to BADLY. That’s why there’s such a push on this under the guise of free speech but they completely and totally ignore the censorious actions of Facebook, Google and ISPs which actively and continuously shut down conservative viewpoints on the internet. In fact the left cheered when the Daily Stormer was (and continues to be) completely blocked from the internet because they’re Nazis.
And yet all I heard from the Net Neutrality temper tantrum was how people were going to be censored by the ISPs. Of course when you brought up the Daily Stormer of an example about how Net Neutrality didn’t prevent that I was immediately told to shut up and stop deflecting the issue.
So there ya go.
Good. Let California neutralize the net in their state.
So if they’re going to impose state-level regulations on entities which operate on a national and, in most cases, international basis, that means that those providers and associated entities are going to need to set up an entirely separate service structure for users inside that one state
The easiest, least complicated solution for internet providers is to simply apply California rules nationwide - thus bringing it back for all of us, which is what all big companies do when there is some California regulation, like air pollution - the auto makers just apply that rule to all products - its cheaper.
In this case, nationwide application of California rules is far cheaper than setting up an expensive structure just for California and then getting hit by Californians and the State for unfair business practices when they (the providers) have to charge California customers more.
Another word for censorship.
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