On 3/14/24 05:16, Dave Taht via Nnagain wrote:

In other news, the House voted to ban tiktok yesterday.  I do not
understand how simultaneously,
we can accept security cameras (largely built around Linux and
violating the GPL) also built elsewhere,
or IoT, or home routers rife with CVEs...

My naive explanation---

Policy-makers seem to focus on how technology is used.    To policy-makers, "The Internet" is a poorly understood technology with many possible uses. Whoever and wherever "we" are, our policy-makers create laws and regulations to constrain those uses.   For every "we" there is likely a number of "them".

Security cameras allow "them" to spy on us. That's generally considered bad, but apparently not as bad as Social Media, which allows "them" to control us, by flooding us with misinformation, disinformation, and what we curiously call "spam".   When advertisers or even our government does it, it's OK. When "they" do it, it's bad.

Spying of course also allows "us" to spy on "us" as well. That's apparently not as bad as allowing "them" to control "us", especially if we can create policy that retains the ability for "us" to exert control on "us" while preventing "them" from communicating with "us".   Those techies simply have to figure out how to make it happen.

I personally do not understand how "network neutrality" relates to other policies. Perhaps it conflicts with other policies such as one that outlaws communications based on ownership of a company?

Jack Haverty