Word from sources in Congress say that the major companies arguing for network neutrality have failed so far to demonstrate they are seriously committed to seeing legislation passed. While the CEO's from the Bell companies, we were told, glad-handed members of Congress, leading online companies have been largely MIA.

Imagine if on its home pages Google, Yahoo!, and Microsoft's MSN urged users to take actionand asked them to save the Internet. Congress would be overwhelmed with angry emails and letters. The Bell/cable industry "grass-tops" faux campaign would be seen as a very minor, paid-for, outcry. But we wonder whether Google, Microsoft and Yahoo! really want to see network neutrality legislation? They must have serious misgivings, since they have done such an incompetent and half-hearted lobbying effort so far.

Certainly they are thinking about the downsides of legislation. For today's call for network neutrality could (and should) lead to other legislative safeguards, such as protecting privacy online. Microsoft, Google, and Yahoo! fear that such privacy safeguards would threaten their interactive advertising/data collection digital golden gooses.

Complete Article: Digital Destiny, AUTHOR: Jeff Chester [1]