The FCC is Expected to Propose the Return of Net Neutrality Protections Oct 19th
eff.org
Network neutrality is the idea that internet service providers (ISPs) should treat all data that travels over their networks fairly, without discrimination in favor of particular apps, sites or services
The FCC will meet on October 19th to vote on proposing Title II reclassification that would support accompanying net neutrality protections
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Shutting down their API is the direct anti-competitive action which goes against net neutrality. It stifles innovation.
That argument is similar to the whole "platform N taking down content violates the 1st amendment" argument. It's a non sequitur.
I'll see if I can make it more sense for you:
If you argue that the pathways that make up the internet should not be artifically restricted or gated as a means of shutting down competition, while at the same time turning around and shutting down your own public pathways, that's a huge problem.
Setting aside for the moment the fact that net neutrality has to do with IP traffic (layer 3, network) and not API availability (layer 7, application) --
Reddit's API is not a "public pathway." It is a private gateway into the reddit environment. They can charge whatever they like for it, because it is a part of their application.
The way they went about changing to their current fee model was undeniably shitty, and yeah, they're trying to prop up ahead of IPO. None of that has anything to do with net neutrality. You're wrong on this one, time to let it go.
Not saying that you are wrong, legally, and not to relitigate the whole thing again, but if you offer a public facing API and then you later on just withdraw it (or its functionality) altogether, that's something a business should not do to its customer base ever, for ethical and social contract reasons.
The Internet is not just defined by legal systems, it started with ethical social contract systems. More nebulous than legal, yes, but still, Society does follow them and expects companies to do so as well.
There's a world of difference between the road itself and the people who own the cars.
Not sure if that holds
They're not stopping competition, they're gatekeeping access to their system
Competition is allowed still, for example, the site were using right now to communicate this very conversation
They are stopping competition. They didn't want superior 3rd party apps competing with their super shitty app just before a proposed IPO.