John McCain wants Internet Freedom

On his website John McCain introduced the The Internet Freedom Act of 2009. This bill would essentially abolish the idea of the consumer being protected by Net Neutrality. McCain’s bill would allow your Internet provider to alter how efficiently you currently load websites on the Internet. For example, if your service provider owns a website that is competitive to TrueSlant.com, McCain wants to grant your provider the “freedom” to block and/or slow down TrueSlant.com for their financial interest. Jon Stewart explains in this clip. (Full Daily Show Segment here)
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Rachel Maddow also spoke about this topic at length with BoingBoing.net blogger Xeni Jardin, that can bet watched here.

Just a couple of notes, McCain’s bill is not to be confused with Rep. Edward Markey bill titled the Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2009, which essentially has the exact opposite goal as McCain’s. Also, I believe it’s fair to note that John McCain is an admitted “computer illiterate,” Why the sudden interest in the Internet? Well, McCain is the largest recipient of contributions from telecom corporations. So decide for yourself if “Internet Freedom” has the interest of the people at heart, or the interest of the corporations.

From Reuters.

Senator John McCain (R-AZ) is the top recipient of campaign contributions from large Internet service providers like AT&T, Verizon and Comcast over the past two years, according to a new report from the Sunlight Foundation and the Center for Responsive Politics. McCain has taken in a total of $894,379 (much of that money going to support his failed 2008 bid for the presidency), more than twice the amount taken by the next-largest beneficiary, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. ($341,089).

Meanwhile, McCain has emerged as the ISPs’ biggest champion against new “network neutrality” rules from the Federal Communications Commission, which voted Thursday to move forward in the process to adopt such rules. Shortly after the FCC vote, McCain introduced a bill (the “Internet Freedom Act”) that would block regulation of the nation’s largest broadband networks.

If net neutrality isn’t fought for, you could someday see this offer in your mail from your internet provider. (Created by a Redditor)

• Reuters – McCain Biggest Beneficiary of Telco/ISP Money
• BoingBoing.net – Xeni on Rachel Maddow Show: John McCain vs. the Internet
• McCain.Senate.Gov – McCain Introduces Internet Freedom
• OpenCongress – Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2009
• The Daily Show – From Here to Neutrality
• CBC – Net Neutrality FAQs
• Mahalo Answers – Do you trust John McCain to make important decisions about the future of the Internet?