Net neutrality tensions mount as politicians and RIAA weigh in

The gathering net neutrality war is seeing some big names take sides. In addition to the early protesters, four members of the House Energy and Commerce committee in the United States have hopped aboard the Google-Verizon hate train. Their complaints are damning, with one member arguing that the Veroogle deal could “have the effect of choking off much of the most important, creative, and valuable contributions the Internet can make to the idea-driven economy of the 21st century.” Even more noisly, net neutrality hero and senate superstar Al Franken has been driving home the risks associated with handing the internet over to corporate control.

On the other side of this ultimate battle between good and evil is the internet-hating, freedom-hating behemoth, the RIAA. No surprise here, the Recording Industry Association of America feels the Google/Verizon proposal doesn’t go far enough. In a classy argument blatantly attempting to associate pirates with more sinister internet users, they want to see ISPs made the net police, with legislation giving them the ability to fight “unlawful activity such as copyright infringement and child pornography.”