My question to Vint Cerf on Network Neutrality
Is Google becoming the new AOL? Does this raise concerns on network neutrality and, if so, do Google employees have a conflict of interest here that they should be disclosing?
I was at the Dynamic Coalition on Network Neutrality session at IGF 2014 and didn’t get to ask my question to Vint Cerf from Google, so here goes:
During the panel, Vint mentioned that Google is now also connecting people to the Internet with Google Fiber. Of course, you sign into Google Fiber with your Google account. The same account that you sign into to access all of Google’s other services. The same account you sign into to use your Google Android phone and Google Chromebook.
Vint also talked about the bygone days of dial-up access. Which got me thinking about another company, from those days, that provided “one account” like Google does. It also provided Internet access and a plethora of proprietary services. That company was AOL.
So, monopolistic concerns about Google aside, my question to Vint is whether he sees Google’s foray into providing connectivity as being relevant to network neutrality and, if so, as a Google employee, whether he feels he has a conflict of interest that he should disclose when taking part in a panel on the subject.