Explore Candidates → President → John McCain on Internet and Media
John McCain
on
Internet and Media
- Abortion and Birth Control
- Civil Liberties and Domestic Security
- Crime and Punishment
- Education
- Environment and Energy
- Gay Rights
- Government and Elections
- Gun Control
- Health Care
- Immigration
- Internet and Media
- Iraq and Foreign Policy
- Medical Marijuana and Drug Policy
- Religion and Public Life
- Science
- Social Security
- Taxes and Budget
- Trade and Economics
Q: "Is there a role for the government to think about [how] we have too much concentration of power [in the media and telecommunications]?" MCCAIN: "I think the trend is in that direction, but you know, and most everybody in this room knows, that whenever government gets involved there is intended consequences and unintended consequences. And one of my complaints about the [Telecommunications Act of 1996] was that I thought it was over-regulartory.... So do I worry about it? Yeah. Am I ready for it to start winding its way through the committees and the special interests that have so much influence in Washington? Certainly not yet."
Co-sponsored the Broadcaster Freedom Act of 2007, which would "prohibit the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)...from having the authority to require broadcasters to present opposing viewpoints on controversial issues of public importance, commonly referred to as the Fairness Doctrine."
"I think anything that impinges on the ability of people to have access is something which we ought to be very careful about...I understand that when you control the pipe you should probably be able to get profit on your investment, etc.... I would let [internet service providers] charge for increased broadband access, increased flow of information, increased accessibility, etc.... I let the market and the technology solve most of the problems that I have seen. I have yet to see a consolidation in the telecommunications arena that makes me say, hey wait a minute, there's a restraint of competition here. That the consumer is not able to, that there concerns are not first."
Co-sponsored the Broadband Investment and Consumer Choice Act (S. 1504), a bill "to establish a market driven telecommunications marketplace, to eliminate government managed competition of existing communication service, and to provide parity between functionally equivalent services."
Primary sponsor of the Internet Regulatory Freedom Act of 1999 (S. 1043), a bill "to provide freedom from regulation by the Federal Communications Commission for the Internet."
Q: “…What is your position on the net neutrality issue?” MCCAIN: “In general, I think we need to move to a different model for thinking about the FCC. I think it should focus on policing clearly anti-competitive behavior and consumer predators. But, frankly, until some foul has been committed, I don’t think it should be interfering in the market, and probably shouldn’t be trying to micromanage American business and innovation. This is a very tough issue, because if you look at the extremes of it, then, obviously it has significant consequences – you can’t restrain the market, you can’t say that people can’t make a living or a profit off of the Internet. That obviously is not the intent of why the Internet was invented, and the reason why it has flourished. So what I would like to do is keep an eye on what goes on with the Internet, whether people are taking unfair advantage of it, whether people are being ripped off, and how this thing progresses.”
From McCain's official campaign website: "John McCain does not believe in prescriptive regulation like “net-neutrality,” but rather he believes that an open marketplace with a variety of consumer choices is the best deterrent against unfair practices."
Voted NO on an amendment to the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 "to strike the provisions providing immunity from civil liability to electronic communication service providers for certain assistance provided to the Government." The amendment was rejected 67-31.
"McCain did not explain his vote to give retroactive immunity to the telecommunications companies, and neither the McCain campaign nor his Senate office responded to questions about the issue. Supporters of the measure have argued that private companies should not be punished for agreeing to the administration's request for their help after the 2001 terrorist attacks. The senator followed his vote by bashing the House of Representatives as "disgraceful" for not immediately passing the same bill the Senate had just approved."
McCain voted for the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 (S. 2248) which would grant retroactive immunity to telecom companies who cooperated with government surveillance efforts. McCain did not register a vote on the House's version of the bill (H.R. 6304) which became law in July, 2008.
MCCAIN: "We need we do [need to reform our copyright laws]. But I also think it's got to be carefully thought through. I think there has to be leadership from the White House because most members of Congress do not understand the complexities of these issues…. I would also rely, to some degree, on some of the federal bureaucracies whose only job is to look at and make sure that these things are transparent with full competition." Q: "There's a growing feeling that the patent system also needs to get a hard look...Is that an issue anywhere on your radar as a presidential candidate?" MCCAIN: "No... I'm trying to take on the big things."
"[John McCain] would spend more to hire and train Patent and Trademark Office personnel [and] advocates 'alternative' approaches to resolve patent challenges."
Q: “In protecting intellectual property rights, and this is a touchy question, does that include putting people in jail for downloading songs? MCCAIN: “… I can’t see myself doing that, unless of course they listen to some of the abominable music that tops the charts today.”
From McCain's official campaign website: "John McCain Will Protect The Creative Industries From Piracy. The entertainment industry is both a vital sector of the domestic economy and among the largest U.S. exporters. While the Internet has provided tremendous opportunity for the creators of copyrighted works, including music and movies, to distribute their works around the world at low cost, it has also given rise to a global epidemic of piracy. John McCain supports efforts to crack down on piracy, both on the Internet and off."