The Liberated Centrist

In recent weeks, Americans have heard much about the problems with “Big Tech.” National politicians from President Donald Trump to many Democrats running to replace him have been public with their disdain for big companies’ collection and dissemination of personal information, as well as data breaches and censorship. Alphabet, the parent company of Google and YouTube, constantly contends with accusations of bias against mainstream conservative accounts for not allowing monetization, deprioritizing videos in its search, and outright banning certain videos from its platform based on vague claims that content conflicted with its policy on “hate speech.” Facebook banned several videos from the conservative non-profit media group, PragerU last year, but was pressured to apologize and ultimately restore the content. Facebook has also come under fire for the way it leverages its users’ personal information.  From the Cambridge Analytica scandal, to the everyday creepiness of seeing...

As is the case with many bills and agencies in Washington, House Democrats’  “Save the Internet Act”  is merely more government wrapped up in a feel-good title. This bill would not save the internet; it would stifle the greatest catalyst for innovation in human history under the ironically named goal of “net neutrality.” “Net neutrality” is not merely — as its supporters claim — ensuring large internet service providers treat all data as equal and forgo “fast lanes” for internet access. It means regulating the internet as a public utility. Before 2015, and since the Federal Communications Commission  repealed  the Obama-era rules in 2017, the internet was and is treated as an “information service.” In this environment, internet companies are much more likely to innovate and invest in their services. If you love the internet, this is a good thing. The more we can do to empower industry to solve its own issues, the quicker we can bring vital connectivity to people ...