Bernie Sanders, the Democratic presidential candidate best known for his “Medicare for All” policy proposal, last week unveiled his plan to create “High Speed Internet for All.” But unlike his health plan, which would make raise taxes across the board in order to finance free coverage for all Americans, Sanders broadband access proposal promises only “dramatically lower costs,” which appears to mean an “affordable price” for “a Basic Internet Plan that provides quality broadband speeds.”
Sanders' plan would require free online access in public housing projects, and promises to “eliminate data caps and ban throttling” for all internet customers.
Calling online access “a basis human right,” Sanders’ plan would break up the telecom behemoths such as Verizon, Comcast, and others that currently control internet access for most Americans. Instead, the plan offers $150 billion in grant money and other assistance to states and local communities, to operate their own broadband networks, according to a report by The Verge.
The local networks would be “democratically controlled, co-operative, or open access broadband networks” under the Sanders plan.
The “internet for all” plan appears somewhat similar to a plan being pushed in the United Kingdom by Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. But while Corbyn’s plan would effectively nationalize the country’s largest internet provider, BT, the Sanders plan supports local and state governments who want to own their own broadband networks.
But whether controlled by local or national government, neither public internet plan addresses the question of how content, in particular controversial content such as porn, would be regulated by the government entities that would control internet access.
As AVN.com reported, when Corbyn was asked directly whether porn would be banned under his planned national ISP, the Labor leader simply looked down at his notes as if pretending not to hear the question.
A Labor spokesperson attempted to fill in the gap, saying only, "We’ll be rolling out a charter of digital rights to protect users of the internet.”
Sanders has yet to be asked how, or if, porn might be regulated—or banned—under his plan, and his online explanation of the proposal does not address the question of content regulation.
But Sanders has been ambiguous so far when it comes to issues relating to the adult industry. Despite being repeatedly asked whether he favors decriminalizing sex work, Sanders has refused to take a stand, saying most recently that needs more time to “discuss” the issue.
Photo By Nick Solari / Wikimedia Commons
