Verizon Says FiOS Will Be Filter Free

I cannot wait for FiOS to come to Chicago. Everyday, I hear something good about it, and everyday, I become more and more envious of thost lucky jerks that have it already. I'm currently subject to the iron rule of Comcast, and AT&T has plans of rolling out their U-Verse here in the city this year which is equally unappealing to me. I want some fiber-optic action, and I want it to deliver me the Internet, not some downgraded, twisted version of the internet that some ISP decides I'm allowed to have.

So what makes me think the Verizon's FiOS network will be any different than the other ISP's in the long run? An interview that NY Times Bits blog posted yesterday is what makes me have faith in the new-fangled fiber-optic network from the Cell Industry giant. Thomas Tauke, EVP of Public Affairs at Verizon, stated "We generally are reluctant to get into the business of examining content that flows across our networks and taking some action as a result of that content," going on to elaborate his three biggest problems with content filtering:

1) The slippery slope.

Once you start going down the path of looking at the information going down the network, there are many that want you to play the role of policeman. Stop illegal gambling offshore. Stop pornography. Stop a whole array of other kinds of activities that some may think inappropriate.

2) It opens up potential liability for failing to block copyrighted work.

When you look back at the history of copyright legislation, there has been an effort by Hollywood to pin the liability for copyright violations on the network that transmits the material. It is no secret they think we have deeper pockets than others and we are easy-to-find targets.

3) Privacy.

Anything we do has to balance the need of copyright protection with the desire of customers for privacy

ISP's have been getting alot of pressure from the RIAA and the Movie Industry to filter content on their networks because the Industries just don't feel like it's their responsibility to protect their own property, I suppose. Or maybe ther feel like the ISP's are creating the hacked/un-drm-ed material. Whatever the case, both AT&T and Comcast have come out in support of this idea. Verizon is the only ISP that has come out in complete rejection of the idea of content filtering or traffic shaping.