The question is not whether we want to keep this open, neutral Internet - we do, or should - but whether government rulemaking can give us the result we want.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
The Internet freedom issue we need to focus on is network neutrality.
Let's not let the government sell us out. Let's fight for net neutrality.
Congress should consult experts and consider alternatives and make 100% sure that any step it takes to police the Internet doesn't change the Internet as we know it.
Internet and government is Topic A in every nation, all around the world. There is the question of getting the Internet built. That involves persuading government to have regulatory policies. It involves new technology to bring the Internet to rural places.
Both the American people and nations that censor the internet should understand that our government is committed to helping promote internet freedom.
The federal government seeks to control and regulate the Internet, but the last thing this Congress should be doing is trying to stifle public debate online.
The thing we have to be careful of is that the Internet is a global communications medium, and if one country tips the balance in regulating its use or regulating what companies or individuals do on the web, it could have an economic impact that might be unintended, quite frankly, by the regulations themselves.
The critical question is: How do we ensure that the Internet develops in a way that is compatible with democracy?
No matter what you do, any country in the world is going to have the ability to set its own rules internally. Any country in the world can pull the plug. It's not a question of technical issues, it's not a question of right or wrong, it's not a question of whether global Internet governance is right or wrong. It's just with us.
There was one issue on which there seemed to be almost unanimity: the Internet should not be managed by any government, national or multinational.