[Governance] Fwd: [Internet Policy] Telcos Looking For Handouts.

[parminder via Governance]

I though this group may also be interested in this ..

(Lest it becomes just a noticeboard to hang our dear Joly MacFie's ISOC 
annoiuncements :) )

-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: 	Re: [Internet Policy] Telcos Looking For Handouts.
Date: 	Sun, 5 Jun 2022 10:31:26 +0530
From: 	parminder <parminder.js at gmail.com>
To: 	David Lloyd-Jones <david.lloydjones at gmail.com>, ISOC INTERNETPOLICY 
<internetpolicy at elists.isoc.org>




On 31/05/22 22:43, David Lloyd-Jones via InternetPolicy wrote:
> Parminder writes, with his usual degree of acuity and discrimination, 
> " Big Tech now accounts for 57 percent of global internet traffic"
>
> https://techmonitor.ai/technology/networks/big-tech-accounts-for-over-half-of-global-internet-traffic,," 
>
> This is nothing but telephone companies looking for handouts.

David, Since you name me, and with apparent sarcasm, I must say that I 
am not quite sure what you are alluding to... Now if net neutrality (NN) 
violations is *telcos looking for handouts* (as the successor title to 
the thread that was originated by me as "Big tech now accounts for 57% 
of global Internet traffic"), let me share it with you that we (me/ my 
organization/ our networks) have been strongly fighting for enforcement 
of NN since the 2000s. This is documented history. We have been at it 
even when many organizations like the EFF were still not sure if there 
should be regulation to nforce NN. Perhaps even ISOC. We have held 
numerous advocacy events, including at the IGF , this is an article for 
enforcing NN 
<https://itforchange.net/sites/default/files/367/Internet_mall-EPW_0.pdf>that 
appeared in India's top academic journal in 2010, and there have been 
numerous op-eds after that. We played a considerably important role in 
the eventual NN rules in India....

I had forwarded this above article about big tech's control over more 
than half the global internet traffic NOT to press for telco's rights to 
seek rents from big tech or others - -that is anathema for me. It was to 
highlight the kind of control big tech increasingly has, not just over 
the Internet, but  thereby also over more and more aspects and elements 
of our lives and our socio-economic systems. (Have you ever thought 
about it!)

Now with this behind us ..

While people have a right to their views, and emphasizing issues they 
wish to, I remain highly amused with how the debate turned completely to 
be about the excesses of telcos -- who are a fast retreating and 
increasingly inconsequential power, apart from being highly regulated in 
public interest. (That in fact is the main reason that poor telcos' get 
such falk, they are associated with governments, which is the Interenty 
libertarian' real enemy.) Which, excuse me to say so, put all together 
looks like a desperate collective effort not to look at and talk about 
the real elephant in the room - the Big Tech. If the statistics of 57 % 
internet flows being in the hands of 5 US corporations does not shock 
people into their senses, and they still want to focus on telcos, who 
whatever they may wish arent getting anywhere with demands for more 
rents, there must be *something fundamentally amiss and askew*.

People here -- and one wonders why -- still want to tilt at the 
windmills of the telcos, when right behind them the Big Tech devil is 
fast devouring the world, or, using a different way to make the point, 
chaining it to be under its command. People in the streets, almost all 
media, and most politicians, are worried like hell about this. Opeds 
upon opeds and legislative proposals upon proposals are pouring out. And 
here we sit among a smug community, which earned its much-vaunted spurs 
valiantly fighting 'for the Internet' in the 1990s and part of 2000s, 
and now even got powerful and resourceful institutions like the ISOC, 
and very-valauble representation in policy making as 'technical 
community', but which now wants to entirely rest on its laurels. For 
that, if they have to re-imagine to completely distort the reality 
around them, and blatantly refuse obvious facts, they will fully and 
energetically do so. As we see done so woefully and regrettably in this 
exchange, and mostly on this list, and as a staple by ISOC, and so on.

Were it just some harmless oldies having a good time with good memories 
of their own golden times, that would be fine. But what has 
unfortunately happened is that their 'historical good acts' of 
contributing to and politically fighting for an epochal level 
decentralization of 'network power' -- in a shift from the telco centric 
communications to Internet based interactions, resulting in continuing 
basic re-organisations in our socioeconomic systems, has now been 
solidly, and in an extraordinarily successful manner, captured and 
co-opted in defense of exactly what it was organized to oppose. By this 
i mean *an unacceptable concentration of network power* (which 
consequently, in a digital context, has then led to creation and then 
concentration of 'data/ AI power'). Many have simply walked innocently 
into the Pied Piper like trap, which trap is of course highly resourced 
-- politically, by the US establishment, and economically by Big Tech. 
Some are just innocent about the *cheese having been moved*, or too weak 
to deal with more complex realities. That is the kinder interpretation 
of what is happening, Because, the fact also is, many others have found 
deeply rewarding roles and benefits in the process, and this part is 
less than innocent or mere weakeness. I speak here of both persons and 
organizations like the ISOC. They simply need to keep investing in what 
'they are', and what sustains them.

But since every sin  -- especially collective, public ones -- need 
whatever veneers of self justification that can be conjured up, this has 
resulted in some remarkably funny and even hilarious discussions, 
arguments, and positions. It it were just funny, I am not averse to 
deriving some light-minded enjoyment out if it, but the fact is that it 
is all extremely extremely dangerous to the world, especially for the 
coming generations -- who would ask, *what were the people who knew 
doing when Big Tech took over and screwed-up our hard earned 
civilization*. It indeed completely passes me how  so many such 
intelligent, and good, people refuse to see their role and 
responsibility in this background, and are happy to do nothing but keep 
talking about and extolling the virtues of some vintage Internet they 
allegedly helped create and defend, to the determent of so much, of the 
present, and the future. Have you guys ever tried to talk with a more 
contemporary, and/ or disinterested, person on the streets! Would be 
insightful, and useful, i say.

No, this is not about telco versus internet -- it is about concentrated 
versus distributed network-power. At some historical point, long passed, 
this duality expressed primarily as being about telco versus the 
Internet. Today it is about Big Tech versus a distributed digital 
ecology, which, like NN was enforced by hard law, *can only be ensured 
by new kinds of hard laws* (EU is making some feeble and unconvincing 
efforts, with its Digital Markets Act, Data Act, GAIA projects, some 
others are too). That my friends, is where the cheese has now be moved 
to. Lets not fool ourselves.

So please wake up, and see *where actual network-power currently is* 
(today even more dangerous as it further yields data/ AI power), and 
WHAT IS NEEDED TO BE DONE ABOUT IT .. Please give rest to Quixotic 
imageries and battles.

David, since you so are so affected by my acuity and discrimination, 
just thought I'd indulge you more :) .No offense.

parminder



>
> The fact is all of internet traffic, not any 67%, is carried by "Big 
> Tech": the telephone companies. All of this is paid by us, the 
> recipients, in our telephone bills.
>
>
>
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