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from the hopefully-not-paying-lip-service dept.
Fluffeh writes:
"When the D.C. U.S. Court of Appeals struck down the FCC's Open Internet Rules, a White House Petition was put up to 'direct the FCC to classify ISPs as "common carriers"'. With over 100k signatures, there is now an official response.
Absent net neutrality, the Internet could turn into a high-priced private toll road that would be inaccessible to the next generation of visionaries. The resulting decline in the development of advanced online apps and services would dampen demand for broadband and ultimately discourage investment in broadband infrastructure. An open Internet removes barriers to investment worldwide.
The petition asked that the President direct the FCC to reclassify Internet service providers as "common carriers" which, if upheld, would give the FCC a distinct set of regulatory tools to promote net neutrality. The FCC is an independent agency. Chairman Wheeler has publicly pledged to use the full authority granted by Congress to maintain a robust, free and open Internet a principle that this White House vigorously supports."
(Score: 5, Interesting) by Phoenix666 on Wednesday February 19 2014, @03:08PM
This mechanism that Obama set up when he entered his first term was quickly exposed as a sham. They don't actually read it or listen to what people are petitioning for. Take the petition to legalize marijuana. Lots and lots of people signed it, and the reply from the President was terse, "I have no plans to legalize marijuana." Now, I'm not a pro-pot guy (not an anti-pot guy either), but the wave of states legalizing and decriminalizing marijuana rather indicates that a major cultural shift is underway and that, as usual, Washington DC is obstructing rather than responding to it. It also shows up Whitehouse petitions as an empty PR gag; they want to give the appearance of being transparent and responsive without actually being so.
So why did anyone expect this petition to produce real action from the Whitehouse? Nothing else has, neither did this.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 19 2014, @03:33PM
White House petitions are not empty PR gags. Surely it's a PR but also an indicator how much people are invested in an issue. Consider it a substitute for million man march.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by hemocyanin on Wednesday February 19 2014, @04:30PM
I'd say they are PR Gags with a purpose: that of collecting information on signatories so that they can be sent manipulative information during election cycles. To think that Whitehouse cares in any way about opinions that do not come with a $50,000 check attached, is naive.
(Score: 3, Informative) by SMI on Wednesday February 19 2014, @06:50PM
Additionally, some We The People petitions that do exceed the 100,000 signature threshold (within the time limit) never [whitehouse.gov] receive [techdirt.com] a response.