An Update on Net Neutrality

In a move that could potentially have a major impact on independent media outlets online, the Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously Thursday to begin drafting rules to prevent Internet providers from acting as gatekeepers. The federal government has so far taken the back seat on net neutrality issues, but with this decision, the FCC will begin a month-long process to develop statutes on what Internet Service Providers can do. Some companies, such as Google, have already spoken out in support of this. On the other hand, ISPs have argued that they should be able to regulate their ever-shrinking bandwidth, which would obviously benefit the ISPs more than their consumers. You can read The Washington Post's story about this here.

What do you think of this? Net neutrality has always been an important topic for Internet users and online content producers, but now this ruling has pushed it into the forefront. Personally, I believe the Internet should remain entirely unregulated, except for things that obvious must be removed by law, like child pornography or private medical records for instance. The vast majority of content, however, should not be tampered with. The beauty of the Internet is that anyone can post to it. It's the lack of regulation that allows independent media Web sites to break news that the mainstream media won't dare to cover. I think the Net should remain an avenue for unfiltered discussion. Do you agree?

You can get the basics on net neutrality by checking out this short video. It was made by SaveTheInternet.com and it's both an informational video and a promotional video for the Web site, so take it with a grain of salt.

FTC to Change Advertising Rules for Bloggers

A New York Times article that appeared earlier tonight reported that the Federal Trade Commission announced it would be revising rules about endorsements and testimonials that have been on the books since 1980. Beginning December 1, bloggers who review products must disclose any connection with the product their reviewing, including free giveaways or payment from an advertiser, which occurs more frequently. Celebrities must also disclose their ties to companies if they promote a product on a talk show or Web site.

The new rules are no surprise - they've been under consideration since November. This change means that the previously uninhibited flow of free stuff to bloggers may come to an end. Furthermore, as reporter Tim Arango suggests, this move hints that the government might attempt to regulate the Internet in the same way it regulates other forms of media, like television or newspapers.

In my opinion, I view this move as a good thing. Bloggers need to be held accountable for their potential conflicts of interest in the same way as television or print reporters. Hopefully it doesn't mean that more regulations are on the way for the Net, but this change, as its stands, is a positive one and will help readers to get the facts, rather than misinformation bloggers could have been paid to provide from advertisers.