Netflix, once a wall in the path of anti-neutrality legislation, has left the fight. Essentially saying "we can get big-boy deals now."
Netflix has historically been a large proponent to neutral-net protections. They were the underdogs, they would have needed the protection to garner their success today. Netflix cared a great deal about an open and free internet back in 2012; they have stood up time and time again in the face of attacks against Internet freedoms.
Now that they are "one of the big players" now, the company's views on neutral neutrality have shifted.
Their CEO, Reed Hastings responds to net neutrality:
"It's not our primary battle at this point"
"We're big enough to get the deals we want"
Netflix does not care about the impacts of saving net neutrality, they no longer impact their position at the lead of the streaming market.
I think neutrality-preserving regulations are going to be crucial to Netflix keeping their position at the top. A stark contrast to the actions being taken by the present Netflix corporation. Netflix might be able to strike some lucrative deals in the short term - their position in the market guiding those deals. I believe these deals could cause Netflix to stagnate; the protections of net neutrality ensure fair competition and require services to be creative and innovative in their approach to keep consumers.
Too bad Netflix is finding themselves on the wrong side of history. Money talks. Reality talks louder.
-Kyle
I have a netflix subscription but this action pisses me off. I will not be renewing it further. If you aren't going to fight for a fair internet for your users (and your own damn traffic NETFLIX) then I am not going to support you any longer. There are other streaming services (and will likely be more) who perhaps will support the fight for net neutrality.
I still pay for Netflix... Very willing to switch to the underdog - Netflix originals are so good though... Good thing I am a pirate, arrrrrrrrrrggghhhhhhhh.
;) arrrgh
Unfortunate. But I believe this opens up a nice gap for competitors. However, from a business point of view, Piracy has been cutting into their market (though not as much as claimed) so perhaps a more regulated Internet is in their best interest?
It is certainly in their best interests right now. They would be able to get the deals that would make it worth it. I think in the long run it will cause trouble and stagnation.
I do not disagree. On Steemit, we are creating a business platform. Therefore, I am truly for Net neutrality. Regulation can be advantageous for the protection of others, but regulation must NEVER infringe on rights of individuals.
Yep, money wins every time. 😞