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Who controls the Internet? And should they? (2021)

berthub.eu

11–20 of 66 posts

Re: Who controls the Internet? And should they? (2021)

#11
post #10
post #6

Are Google, Facebook, Apple and Microsoft "The Internet"? Why not Cogent, Verizon, AT&T, Level 3 or other 1-Tiers like them? This does not touch that all of them need to bow to the local legislation.

For “users” yeah, they’re basically the internet. If you don’t have your own ASN you’re just renting someone else’s access, so there’s an easy answer - they control your access and could cut it off if they wanted.

Having your own ASN doesn't mean a whole lot on it's own.

Re: Who controls the Internet? And should they? (2021)

#13

I'm in the UK and I don't recognise what's being said there about a child safe internet you can opt out of.

Exactly - there is no default blocking of adult material in the UK, it's scaremongering based on proposed legislation that will probably never make it to the statute books. Some ISPs and telcos have implemented their own systems to protect children, which is a policy matter for them and them alone. There are plenty of ISPs who give you a raw unfiltered Internet. As a result of this inaccuracy, it weakens the rest of the talk for me - how much else is being made up?

Re: Who controls the Internet? And should they? (2021)

#15
post #13

I'm in the UK and I don't recognise what's being said there about a child safe internet you can opt out of.

Exactly - there is no default blocking of adult material in the UK, it's scaremongering based on proposed legislation that will probably never make it to the statute books. Some ISPs and telcos have implemented their own systems to protect children, which is a policy matter for them and them alone. There are plenty of ISPs who give you a raw unfiltered Internet. As a result of this inaccuracy, it weakens the rest of…

>it's scaremongering based on proposed legislation that will probably never make it to the statute books.

As someone following this horrendous bill, can you tell me what gives you that impression, given that it's passed two readings in the Commons and HL doesn't seem to be particularly vocal about slowing it down?

Re: Who controls the Internet? And should they? (2021)

#16
post #11
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For “users” yeah, they’re basically the internet. If you don’t have your own ASN you’re just renting someone else’s access, so there’s an easy answer - they control your access and could cut it off if they wanted.

Having your own ASN doesn't mean a whole lot on it's own.

Each step higher on the chain gets you closer to terms of service that say "if it's legal, you're ok".

Re: Who controls the Internet? And should they? (2021)

#17
I like Bert Hubert's writing because he always comes across as someone who's unbiased and genuinely cares. One thing I'm surprised he didn't mention is how large corporations operate their own private internets in basically the same way as countries like China and North Korea. Why wouldn't they? It's how the ARPAnet used to work. They only let scientists, engineers, and university students use the thing. I'm sure it was a much more pleasant environment than the spam hellscape of the modern public net. So obviously every corporate and national community who shares the same dream is going to try and escape it. Where is it written that private internets are perfectly normal when a corporation does it, but evil when a country does too? Some are certainly guilty of mismanagement, but I wouldn't judge their motivations, or say they're "controlling" what they're trying to escape.

Re: Who controls the Internet? And should they? (2021)

#19

I'm in the UK and I don't recognise what's being said there about a child safe internet you can opt out of.

All internet access on consumer-grade mobile plans is restricted by default and you have to explicitly opt-out of the filtering.

Re: Who controls the Internet? And should they? (2021)

#20
post #17

I like Bert Hubert's writing because he always comes across as someone who's unbiased and genuinely cares. One thing I'm surprised he didn't mention is how large corporations operate their own private internets in basically the same way as countries like China and North Korea. Why wouldn't they? It's how the ARPAnet used to work. They only let scientists, engineers, and university students use the thing. I'm sure it…

> Where is it written that private internets are perfectly normal when a corporation does it, but evil when a country does too?

The impact is different*, scale is different, and countries doing it have track record of using it to hide their misdeeds.

*It's generally ok if you build a wall around your property. Not so much if a country does it.

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