I used to think there were a lot of "Chicken Littles" running around saying the BigCos were going to take over the Internet. I never believed it to be possible. The Internet is just too big and diverse for a few large companies to exert a considerable amount of control over it, right?

Now I am starting to wonder if that assumption is valid. The DMCA is the most obvious example of using legislation to control our access to content, but it won't stop there. Jeff Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy, imagines a time when the BigCos will be able to control how we use the Internet, what content we will be able to see, and when we will be able to see it.

How will that be possible? By controlling Broadband access and using legislation as their weapons.

Jeff Chester made this telling comment in June, 2001:

"The Internet was founded as a nondiscriminatory network where no single entity would be able to slow down, speed up, or distort communications. As the Internet moves to broadband, network operators are given more control over content flow."

That's a scary thought. Imagine a time when the broadband providers decide it is in their corporate interests to sensor content, or control your access to Internet content as closely as they control access to their broadcast content (ie., decide when and what content you can view).

The DMCA and CARP are legislative attempts to control access to content. Consolidation, as in the AOL/Time Warner merger, has the potential give a few BigCos control over huge chunks of Interenet infrastructure, content, and users.

Beware. The Chicken Littles say the sky is falling. This time they might be right.  11:05:23 AM