[governance] IGP Alert: "Net Neutrality as Global Principle for Internet Governance"

[Milton L Mueller]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vittorio Bertola [mailto:vb at bertola.eu]
> I am just afraid of the idea of collapsing the battle for network
> neutrality with the battle for a sort of "global online first amendment"
> that says that nothing should be censored ever. It's not democracy

A "two-handed" answer for you, Vittorio. 

On the one hand a NN policy, as Dan and I have noted repeatedly, does not make it impossible to declare certain kinds of content illegal, and to prosecute those responsible for creating, publishing or using/possessing it. A NN policy also does not prevent families from installing filters on their own terminal devices and for private web sites to refuse to carry certain kinds of content. 

On the other hand NN does militate against systematic use of the network intermediary (either state-mandated blocking or private vertical integration) to implement content regulation goals. It also would shift the burden of proof against states that attempt to disguise trade discrimination in digital content as "public order" mandated censorship. In some cases it means that content people don't like will be accessible. (Not that it isn't already.)

As for "breaking the front," I see no "front" to be broken. Free expression advocacy and NN advocacy are linked closely. No, a global NN principle does not necessarily mean a global US-style first amendment, but if you're not already pretty far along on the left side of the free expression spectrum it's hard to understand why you'd be interested in a NN policy. What does it accomplish for you If not a liberalization on the constraints on internet expression and interaction?


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