Net cemetery

Network neutrality--that's now the official policy of the Obama administration, announced last month by the new chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Julius Genachowski. It's a development that could be more significant to the future of free speech than any milestone since the Supreme Court's decision in New York Times v. Sullivan in 1964. The essence of net neutrality seems simple: Internet service providers should be required to treat all data equally and avoid blocking or delaying any sites or applications. That's an important principle to establish, because there are, unfortunately, cases where it has been violated--cases where network operators have censored speakers who threatened their economic interests.