Is there a company today that doesn’t use the Internet for conducting business – selling on the company website, purchasing goods and services from other businesses, researching price, demographic, and competitors’ information, or using social networks for marketing and advertising?
Refer to Article I, Section 7 and Section 8 of your pocket Constitution and conduct research using the following links. Feel free to consult other sources for information as well.
• http://www.theverge.com/2014/11/10/7185933/fcc-should-reclassify-internet-as-utility-obama-says
• http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2014/11/11/why-obamas-plan-to-save-the-internet-could-actually-ruin-it/
• http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2015/01/21/378844286/critics-say-republican-net-neutrality-plan-strips-fcc-s-power
• http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/nov/10/cable-companies-obama-net-neutrality-proposals-fcc-fight
• http://www.standunited.org/petition/fight-government-takeover-of-the-internet/?utm_source=tpi&utm_medium=tpidedicated&utm_term=technology&utm_content=pif1&utm_campaign=2015297
There are many federal and state legislators who would like to impose additional sales taxes on Internet purchases. Consult your pocket Constitution to locate where this power is delegated to either U.S. Congress or to any state legislation. Do you believe they should be allowed to do so? Do they have jurisdiction over the Internet to be able to levy additional taxes? If they were able to accomplish this, how would these taxes affect your business?
What about ‘Net Neutrality’ – how will it affect cable and telecommunications companies? The president has issued an executive order to reclassify and regulate the Internet? How will this regulation affect Internet Service Providers (ISPs)? How will this regulation affect your business? Is any of this even legal?
Write a brief report (no more than 2 double-spaced pages) detailing the issues involved if these actions are taken by the government. Make sure to include specific examples to support your argument.