The Boy That Cried Wolf

Accusing someone of censorship is a serious charge. It's probably a good idea to make sure that someone is actually engaging in censorship before accusing them of it.

In October, a U.S. vigilante group asked Verizon to cut off Net access to Epifora, a Canadian ISP that hosts a number of (entirely legal) web sites offering support to minor-attracted adults. Shortly thereafter, Verizon gave 30 days notice to Epifora, ending a 5 year relationship.

Private companies deciding to terminate business relationships, regardless of the reasons, is not censorship.

Verizon customers can still get to the websites in question, Verizon has just decided they do not want to enter into business with this particular customer.

Whether you think their reasons are justified or not, this is not censorship and the net neutrality crowd needs to get its story straight.

Tags: internet, Verizon, net neutrality, censorship