4chan.org is now banned on Verizon’s wireless network.
I am disgusted. Not because I am constantly on 4chan’s various boards such as /po/ic/wg/hr/. But because anytime networks control what we can or cannot see online, we are losing a freedom many of us didn’t even knew we had. And I am afraid that someday soon, networks will be selling out to political leaders and businesses to control public opinion and knowledge. Who is to say this hasn’t happened already?
This is not the first time networks have restricted what we see online and I’m sure it will not be the last. Verizon is following in the steps of Comcast. When Tim Berners-Lee first designed the world wide web, I’m sure this is not what he had in mind. He created the World Wide Web Consortium to ensure that the web remained a free and open entity. Maybe we ourselves need to help ensure this as well.
I guess we’ll see how this plays out… Hopefully Verizon will be smart about the situation. If not, it and Comcast could be setting an example of what is and is not acceptable.
