To prevent abuses by media giants that because of recent Federal court decisions will control the pipeline into the home and much of the content delivered over it, we need new laws. Like today’s phone companies, the companies controlling the superhighway must be required to carry other programmers’ content, just as phone companies must provide service to anyone who is willing to pay for it. We must guarantee that anyone who, say, wants to start an alternative news network or a forum for political discussion is given an outlet to do so.
Predictor: Kapor, Mitchell
Prediction, in context:In a 1991 article for Scientific American, Electronic Frontier Foundation co-founder Mitchell Kapor and Jerry Berman state: ”To prevent abuses by media giants that because of recent Federal court decisions will control the pipeline into the home and much of the content delivered over it, we need new laws. Like today’s phone companies, the companies controlling the superhighway must be required to carry other programmers’ content, just as phone companies must provide service to anyone who is willing to pay for it. We must guarantee that anyone who, say, wants to start an alternative news network or a forum for political discussion is given an outlet to do so.”
Biography:Mitchell Kapor founded the Lotus Development Corporation and also founded the Electronic Frontier Foundation with WELL (Whole Earth ‘Lectronic Link) members John Perry Barlow and John Gilmore in 1990 in direct response to a threat to free speech. He was an outspoken supporter of open access to the Internet, and was asked to speak in many venues about the issue, including Congressional hearings. (Pioneer/Originator.)
Date of prediction: November 1, 1993
Topic of prediction: Information Infrastructure
Subtopic: Open Access
Name of publication: New York Times
Title, headline, chapter name: A Superhighway Through the Wasteland?
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://www.eff.org/Publications/Mitch_Kapor/nii_kapor_berman_eff_nyt.article
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Anderson, Janna Quitney