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Jun 30 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
Over at the Daily Dot I wrote about why throwing billions of dollars at U.S. broadband monopolies never truly fixes the nation's stubborn "digital divide":

dailydot.com/debug/broadban…
US federal telecom policy for literally thirty straight years has involved letting regional monopolies like AT&T and Comcast dictate 90% of state and federal telecom policy, standards, and rules, then showering them with billions of dollars for half completed networks...
then state and federal policymakers really love standing around with a befuddled look on their collective faces complaining about how the mysterious, always somehow causation-free "digital divide" somehow still persists in 2022.
the digital divide still persists in 2022 because, with only the occasional, short-lived exception (see the death of #netneutrality or FCC broadband privacy rules), U.S. state and federal telecom policy primarily involves kissing monopoly ass and/or denying monopolies even exist.

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More from @KarlBode

Karl Bode Profile picture
Jul 1
the quest to lobotomize US federal regulators has been a 50+ year propaganda campaign bankrolled by corporations, designed to frame wholesale corruption, apathy, and zero accountability as a noble quest for freedom from government tyranny,

nytimes.com/2022/06/30/us/…
the goal of these rulings is to create toothless regulators that can't act to protect consumers or markets without the express permission of a congress these same corporations know full well (because they did it) is too corrupt to competently function in the public interest
the underlying goal is complete, unchecked power for corporations and the wealthy to pursue wealth accumulation with absolutely no consumer or market safeguards whatsoever, and there's been a 50+ year campaign to dress this self-serving bullshit up as some noble, patriotic ethos
Read 17 tweets
Karl Bode Profile picture
Jun 30
I know it risks upsetting sources and advertisers but you could say "falsely suggests" in the headline here to make it clear he's completely talking out of his ass

axios.com/2022/06/30/cla…
I love the politico/NYT/Axios model of journalism where you amplify a false claim in your headline for clicks, then don't bother to debunk it until the fourth paragraph...

despite knowing some ridiculous # of readers never make it past the headline and 1st paragraph
then you look down your nose in pseudo-superior indignation at smaller outlets that could actually be bothered to debunk the false claim in the headline, somehow deriding that as not professional
Read 6 tweets
Karl Bode Profile picture
Jun 30
former FCC chief of staff is super excited about how a Supreme Court ruling that could doom a habitable planet will also be of great benefit to telecom monopolies who hate even modest oversight Image
Imagine watching an authoritarian supreme court dismantle democracy, basic rights, and functioning regulatory oversight and your first instinct is to get excited because this could be exploited by comcast
the supreme court's goal is to prevent regulators from taking any action against corporations not explicitly requested by Congress, knowing full well that Congress is too corrupt and gerrymandered to ever demand much of regulators

Great news for AT&T and Comcast.
Read 4 tweets
Karl Bode Profile picture
Jun 30
if you can't see how platforming and validating a fascist propagandist at a news event about "trust in news" simply to drive controversy and engagement for your new media company is a problem, I'm not really sure you should be in the information business Image
platforming fascism is lose/lose. You can't defeat it with gotcha questions as the ideology is unwavering. All you're doing is amplifying it further, portraying fascism as valid policy up for debate, and telling your readers this is someone important you should pay attention to.
again, if ben and co really wanted to explore "trust in news" they could invite a bunch of respected media academics and experts to discuss real solutions. but that wouldn't get your shiny new media venture controversy engagement.
Read 16 tweets
Karl Bode Profile picture
Jun 29
👇guy literally could not give any less of a shit about the vast privacy violations in a sector he actually regulates (telecom), but heads to the fainting couches anytime TikTok's name pops up in headlines

wonder why that is
flashback:

techdirt.com/2011/05/12/fac…
some of the same FCC folks that worked on killing net neutrality with Carr's help now work at the firm (Targeted Victory) that Facebook hires to smear competitors but I'm sure that's a coincidence
Read 8 tweets
Karl Bode Profile picture
Jun 15
biden regulators show just the slightest hint of backbone on autopilot safety issues and he goes full fascist
the next 5-10 years in this country are going to be very, very ugly
frightened by climate change and institutional failure, ignorant, panicked people will crave simple and easy solutions, and elon's here to usher those folks toward the maw of fascism just because it serves his profit motives

and he's gonna do it with fun memes!
Read 4 tweets

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