I just saw an anti-net neutrality ad from the National Cable & Telecommunications Association. They portray Google and its allies on the pro-neutrality side as “multi-billion dollar tech companies” who just want more money from you, the poor consumer. Why, we all know that the cable and telecom companies have always done what is best for the consumer, right?
Lots of people have spilled lots of ink over net neutrality in the past few months, but if nothing else this one ad would make me side with Google. If it comes down to who I trust more, Verizon or Google? Easy. Which one of those companies has ever charged me a dime? Which one of those companies has a history of near-whimsical pricing and abuse of government-sponsored monopoly power? Yeah, exactly. Hell, just last month, Verizon wanted to punk their cellular customers with an invented new fee to recoup the losses from the FCC cancelling the Spanish-American War tax.
Who do you trust?