Carly Fiorina: Net Neutrality is ‘Crony Capitalism’

Presidential hopeful Carly Fiorina has spoken out against net neutrality in a video message Breitbart Tech can exclusively share with readers.

“The net neutrality rules promulgated by this Administration, along with the big businesses that stand to benefit, are as good an example of crony capitalism as any,” says Fiorina in the statement, which was recorded for the nonprofit Protect Internet Freedom.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IwavvyWjtQ&feature=youtu.be

“Net neutrality proponents did a masterful job,” the former CEO of HP adds, “of marketing all this with the help of late-night hosts and political spin, arguing that it would level the internet playing field. The truth however is that it would insert Washington bureaucracy and control into the twenty-first century’s greatest success story.”

Fiorina goes on: “The internet, which has empowered hundreds of millions of Americans in so many aspects of life will now be subject to the same types of regulations that governed telephone service in the twentieth century.”

Wearing what is becoming a signature accessory – a large crucifix – the GOP presidential candidate explains why she thinks net neutrality will hamper innovation and takes aim at the Obama government for being over-zealous on regulation.

“As someone who led an $87 billion technology company for six years, I know this,” Fiorina tells viewers. “Only big companies can deal with vast, sweeping regulation like the 313 page imposed by the FCC. This Administration has had a habit of identifying a particular problem and then convincing the voters that we require enormous new swathes of government control to fix it.

“Major companies such as Google, Facebook, Amazon, eBay and Netflix now have a government-conferred advantage over startups, because they can afford the lawyers and the lobbyists necessary to navigate the new Title II landscape.

“When influence trumps innovation, big entrenched companies benefit. There’s an old saying, that if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. For politicians, regulations and bureaucracy are their hammer. For so long, they have been in the business of managing problems, they have forgotten that leadership is about envisioning solutions.

“We need leaders who can understand the power of technology, and can imagine a new way of doing business that encourages new tech startups and drives innovation on the internet. Government control of the internet may be the political class’s latest attempt to manage our problems, but it will not lead to solutions.” 

Protect Internet Freedom, which boasts 1.6 million members, has been encouraging its members to attend town hall meetings and meet and greets to ask presidential candidates “where they stand on rolling back the FCC’s power grab over the internet.”

“As you already know,” a PIF spokesman told Breitbart Tech via email, “We’re seeing multiple examples of how government and so-called ‘net roots’ activists are working in tandem to assert more control over the Internet. Whether it’s the FCC treating the Internet like a government regulated public utility; FEC efforts to regulate political speech, and even news sites like the Drudge Report; or the new focus on regulation of so-called ‘hate speech’ on the web.

“Germany and Google just announced speech that is “insulting” will be deleted within 24 hours. Our members are increasingly concerned about government actions that are centralizing control over the Internet. [According to German law,] “insults” can be categorized as hate speech.”

Jerri Ann Henry, Public Advocate for PIF, added: “I am so happy that amongst the many issues facing our country, from national security to the economy, candidates are taking the time to address one of our most critical rights, a free and open Internet.

“The FCC’s heavy handed regulations to treat the Internet as a government controlled public utility threaten freedom and liberty and it is imperative we take our internet back from these meddlesome unelected bureaucrats,” she added.