AT&T Silences Criticism in New Terms of Service 298
marco13185 writes "AT&T's new Terms of Service give AT&T the right to suspend your account and all service "for conduct that AT&T believes"..."(c) tends to damage the name or reputation of AT&T, or its parents, affiliates and subsidiaries." After cooperating with the government's violations of privacy and liberties, I guess AT&T wants their fair share. AT&T users may want to think twice about commenting if they value their internet service."
Re:Reason #1 for net neutrality... (Score:2, Informative)
No. (for the thousandth time. Hopefully someday people will figure this out)
Re:Reason #1 for net neutrality... (Score:5, Informative)
What is Sandvine? (Score:1, Informative)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandvine [wikipedia.org]
Re:Reason #1 for net neutrality... (Score:2, Informative)
Because there are special laws that exempt them from liability but those are not the standard common carrier laws but special laws for ISPs.
Re:Let them try disconnecting... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Reason #1 for net neutrality... (Score:3, Informative)
The first amemndment does not protect you from consequences for saying something, it protects your right to say something.
Re:If you dont like it... (Score:3, Informative)
Moderators: you absolutely need to mark this Insightful
.I work on order and billing systems for telcos and have some insight into this... and was just thinking the same damn thing. Colbert makes the point so much better than I could. Glad you posted this.
:) )
Monopoly? We got no steengking monopoly. (apologies to 'Treasure of the Sierra Madre'
Re:Reason #1 for net neutrality... (Score:4, Informative)
You apparently share a common misunderstanding about our Constitution. The Constitution is a document which limits the powers of our government only. Thus the protections for citizens only cover government intervention into the lives of its citizens. The Constitution has no authority over, and does not regulate, the behavior between private citizens. Only the laws that the government passes (within the powers granted by the Constitution) can regulate that.
Re:No, they shouldn't (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Reason #1 for net neutrality... (Score:5, Informative)
In general, telco divisions/companies/business units are common carriers; ISP divisions/companies/business units are not.
Re:Reason #1 for net neutrality... (Score:1, Informative)
The first amendment guarantees that you *are* allowed to yell "Fire!" in a crowded theater. They can not, do not, and will not abridge that right.
The families of the stampede victims *are* allowed to sue you, however, and the cops *can* and *will* arrest you after you've said it.
The first amendment doesn't say you can say anything without consequence, it says the government can't outlaw all use of the word 'fire'.
What the hell is it with people on the net (Score:4, Informative)
The way I like to put it is "The right to freedom of speech does not imply the right to be heard." In other words you are free to scream all you want about whatever you want, but you aren't free to do it in my living room, I can kick you out if I want. You are free to write whatever you want, but you aren't free to do so on my web forums, I can kick you off. You are free to express your self as you want, but you aren't free to do so at work, they are free to fire you.
That's what people mean. Your free expression can have consequences with other private citizens, and the first amendment does not protect you from that. It can't as to do so would be to infringe on those other citizen's rights. What it protects you from is the government. The constitution is a document relating to the government. It lays out what powers the government gets to have, and places limitations on those powers. So it does say that the government can't come and arrest you for saying something they don't like.
Your rights are not unlimited, you are not king. Your rights end where mine (and everyone else's) begin. You'd do well to learn that concept, or you are in for some real nasty surprises later in life.