NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] Users as Toast: The Blocking of Google TV
Users as Toast: The Blocking of Google TV
http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000774.html
Greetings. The day started badly. All he wanted was a piece of
toast. Yet instead of creating a crispy slice of goodness, his
General Electric toaster ejected the still soft slice, and flashed a
bizarre admonition on its display (odd, he didn't even remember it
having a display) -- informing him that due to an ongoing dispute with
Van de Kamp's bakeries, he was blocked from toasting that particular
brand of bread until further notice. How droll.
At least he could head out and pick up something to eat elsewhere.
But he was low on gas -- better buy some first.
More trouble. The pump refused to operate. What's this flashing on
its screen? A list of acceptable car brands that have made deals with
ARCO. His old car wasn't on the OK list. So -- no gas. Amazing.
What's the world coming to?
Back home, at least he can watch some TV. Now what? Instead of
shows, messages are popping up hot and heavy. CBS says they will only
allow viewers using SONY televisions to tune in. FOX demands Toshiba
or Samsung. The DuMont network insists that you use a Farnsworth set.
DuMont? Farnsworth? What the blazes is happening today? Somebody
help! HELP!
And he awoke in a cold sweat from the nightmare.
Phew. Just a bad dream. Better calm down and watch the new Google
TV -- go relax with some Web shows on the big screen. He settled down in
his easy chair to wind down -- and his face twisted into a maniacal
grin as he discovered that Hulu and the major broadcast networks have
blocked much Web viewing by Google TV users ( http://bit.ly/ddgNCY
[PC World] ).
Reaching for the heavy hammer on the table to his side, he slowly
approached the array of electronic devices stacked before him ...
There has been much speculation about motivations for the blocking of
most full episode Web programming from Google TV users -- first by
Hulu, then by the conventional broadcast networks.
Some observers suspect that disparities in ad rates between broadcast
and Web versions of programs are the primary cause. Others have
suggested that it's payback to Google for refusing to censor search
results to try "hide" sites that offer pirated programming.
Google itself has offered a diplomatically worded statement noting
that it's up to program suppliers to decide which users they're
willing to service. Understandably, Google doesn't want to burn any
bridges, especially before they've been fully built.
But in my view, the purposely blocking of particular viewing platforms
for other than legitimate technical reasons (e.g. genuine, serious
display incompatibilities) is unacceptable -- and should be illegal.
What we're seeing now is partly a spillover from the increasingly
heavy-handed tactics that have resulted in the ongoing "carriage wars"
between TV channels/networks and cable/satellite providers -- with
users having channels cut off when these groups couldn't agree on
terms.
Now this has escalated even further. Program providers are exploiting
Web technology in what can't help but appear to be attempts to demand
(extort?) fees related not to which cable system a user is on, but to
what product they're using to access Web programming.
What's the difference between this situation, and that toaster and gas
pump from our friend's nightmare above? Not one hell of a lot.
And from a technical standpoint, this gets even sillier. Odds are
(though I don't know this for a fact) that the Google TV blocking may
be based on client identification information that Google TV is
honestly passing to the associated servers. If Google TV didn't
self-identify in a distinct manner (or if it allowed users to set
identity strings as they wished -- a common feature in some browsers),
it seems likely that Google TV viewers could look like users of
ordinary PCs that aren't being blocked. Of course, Google providing
such a feature would likely be considered a provocative action by the
very networks involved in this dispute.
Even more bizarrely in this respect, many conventional PCs (both tower
and laptop) now include outputs (e.g. HDMI) that permit users to view
Web programming on large TV monitors without even needing to obtain
DVI adapters -- and there'd be no indication to the networks that
viewers weren't using smaller displays. That's all most TVs are now
from a display standpoint -- just generally larger versions of the
same technology that we use at our PCs, or in our laptops -- every
day!
My assumption is that ultimately Google will come to terms with the
various networks involved in this dispute -- but by all rights Google
shouldn't have to make any sorts of deals for users of Google TV to
have the same access to Web sites as any other Web users.
If we continue to allow this bullying of viewers -- by networks trying
to micromanage the hardware that we use to access their Web sites --
it is likely to only get worse over time with escalating demands for
ever more control.
And then all of us -- the viewers -- will really be ... toast.
--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein (lauren@vortex.com)
http://www.vortex.com/lauren
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
Co-Founder, PFIR (People For Internet Responsibility): http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, NNSquad (Network Neutrality Squad): http://www.nnsquad.org
Founder, GCTIP (Global Coalition for Transparent Internet Performance):
http://www.gctip.org
Founder, PRIVACY Forum: http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurenweinstein
Google Buzz: http://bit.ly/lauren-buzz