Regulation often serves the purpose of freezing in place a business model that has been profitable to politically connected business, thus dampening price signals and innovation.
Net neutrality is a perfect example. Amazon, Facebook, Google, Mozilla, and Netflix are content providers. They rely on networks like AT&T and Verizon to carry their content to users. The current business model embodies the principle of “net neutrality” whereby networks treat every bit of information equally. The alternative could be, say, building a “fast line” for some data, like streaming video.
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