FCC abolishes gigabit speed goal, suggesting it is unfair to slower technologies | FCC decides 1Gbps is too fast, standard must be “technologically neutral.”

[u/FreeHugs23]

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/08/fcc-abolishes-gigabit-speed-goal-suggesting-it-is-unfair-to-slower-technologies/

[u/viper4011]

Lobbying is corruption. Change my mind. 

[u/BOBOnobobo → u/viper4011]

Out in the open corruption.

Don't get fooled, companies would still pay people off, it would just be more hidden

[u/baibaiburnee → u/BOBOnobobo]

Please give me a law that would prevent what you see as "lobbying" but would still allow people to persuade their representatives about issues...you know...the thing that enables democracy

[u/never-fiftyone → u/baibaiburnee]

One that prohibits the exchange of goods, services, or monies for consideration. You can voice an opinion without greasing it up first.

[u/HPLaserJet4250 → u/never-fiftyone]

Thats called bribery. Words have meaning you know

[u/never-fiftyone → u/HPLaserJet4250]

And yet it happens in the open every day.

[u/BOBOnobobo → u/baibaiburnee]

That's also another reason as to why lobbying can't be removed so easily.

We should probably cap single source donations, and stop companies from paying to much. How much should be related to how much wealth the rich have compared to the rest of the people, so that they can get outbid by let's say 10% of regular people.

[u/viper4011 → u/BOBOnobobo]

So the opinions of the rich matter more than the poor? Don’t cap donations, ban them. 

[u/BOBOnobobo → u/viper4011]

Can you do me a favour and actually read and interpret what I said?

At the moment your comment reads your just angry and not thinking at all. Which isn't really helping anybody

[u/atatassault47 → u/viper4011]

Simplying speaking to your representative/senator about an issue is lobbying. What needs to change is that all political correspondence either needs to be via mail, or government owned meeting rooms. Lobbying in the colloquial sense where some rich fuck takes a politician out to a golf course or on a nice vacation needs to be illegal.

[u/vaynefox → u/viper4011]

It is, lobbying is legalized bribery so I do hope people in the US make it illegal and at the same time forbid politician from taking donations from corporations....

[u/NZObiwan → u/vaynefox]

Just FYI lobbying isn't necessarily paying money. The definition of lobbying is trying influence government/lawmakers in an effort to influence public policy.

This means things like unions having discussions with government count as lobbying, so do indigenous groups who try to talk to their state lawmakers about protecting their cultural heritage etc.

The word has become associated with corruption in the US, but in other modern democracies is used relatively healthily to ensure the government can get a wide range of view points on issues. The important part is to ensure there's no quid pro quos or bribery, and to ensure all communication is on the record, and lobbyists have reasonable restrictions around how much access to politicians they get.

[u/vaynefox → u/NZObiwan]

The thing is that it is not being used what it's supposed to be so you just might as well outlaw it and make a new system that will ensure that the people's voices will be heard....

[u/lavapig_love → u/viper4011]

Everyone lobbies politicians all the time. The difference is the method. Using money is bribery, full stop.

[u/Nyctfall → u/viper4011]

Lobbying makes corruption legal, just like how the villains telling the hero their plan makes it no longer collusion...

That's is to say, what else could we expect from a nation made by criminal rejects banished to the other side of the world?

[u/tachudda → u/viper4011]

These guys are just being so open with their corruption, you could just say corruption is corruption

[u/mrsnzr → u/viper4011]

No no. It’s fancy legalized corruption for rich people and corporations.

[u/Maleficent_Onion_822 → u/viper4011]

Lobbying is literally a Constitutional right ("...and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.")

[u/pham_nuwen_ → u/viper4011]

It's just old fashioned bribing.

[u/ahmong → u/viper4011]

I mean, it is for a lot of countries

[u/actsfw → u/viper4011]

What you're conflating with lobbying is really bribery. Not all lobbying is bribery, but most done by large organizations is.

[u/Sweetwill62 → u/viper4011]

Lobbying is a core component of democracy and covers by far more than just what you are thinking about. Lobbying is, by definition, attempting to influence the vote of a policitican. That is it. THAT is lobbying. Yes many things can be called lobbying, but at its core, it is just the ability to communicate with members of the government.

This includes being able to send a letter to your mayor and sending an email to your representative. It also covers the super shady large PAC funds that are destroying the entire country. So no lobbying is NOT corruption, it is indeed a very good avenue for corruption but lobbying is not corruption and to think so just shows how little you know.

[u/WhatsThisTruck → u/viper4011]

Lobbying is sedition.

[u/FartingBob → u/viper4011]

I will pay you 10 million dollars to change your mind.

[u/HPLaserJet4250 → u/viper4011]

Lobbying is also when human rights organization fights for rights of minorities. Sadly being literate is not required to use internet