Verizon Calls For Greater Antitrust Scrutiny for OS Makers

From DailyTech: Tom Tauke, Verizon Communication Inc.'s executive vice president of public affairs, policy and communications, speaking at a panel called "Rewriting the Telecom Act: Has the Time Come?" at the Federalist Society's National Conference in Washington complained that the government is ignoring blatant anticompetitive and anticonsumer practices by operating system makers and other entities.

Verizon did not mention Apple, Inc. by name, but the commentary seemed clearly aimed at the Cupertino giant who recent has been on a quest to deny customers access to such "evils" as Flash and porn.

Mr. Tauke comments, "The grinding you hear are the gears churning as policymakers try to fit fast-changing technologies and competitive markets into regulatory boxes built for analog technologies and monopoly markets."

He continues, "A key reason why the [Federal Communications Commission] doesn't consider the activities of those who control operating systems or applications is that the FCC looks at the world from the standpoint of its jurisdiction rather than from the perspective of the consumer," Tauke said. "Given the outdated statute, that's somewhat understandable. But from a reasonable person's perspective, that approach makes no sense. That is why we need Congress to update the law."

Surprisingly, Verizon is calling for greater, but more coherent government regulation. It has joined Google in crafting a proposal to legislate net neutrality. That proposal notably contains exemptions for the wireless industry (Verizon is America's largest wireless network, in terms of subscribers) and also implies that discriminating against suspected piracy traffic should be legal.

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