Reading a debate on Reddit about what should happen to Comcast now that they've been found to violate the law >400,00 times.
Some people are saying the corporation is criminal, other say that it should be broken up or nationalized. People complain there are "never repercussions".
If we want real change, then I have a simpler solution- jail time for and seizure of assets owned by senior executives.
If we had real repercussions for white collar crime, that would be an actual deterrent.
@emacsen https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2019/06/comcast-broke-law-445000-times-in-scheme-to-inflate-bills-judge-finds/
I can't believe it took this long for any action. Comcast have been acting beyond shady for many years.
Adding stuff to your bill that you didn't ask for and making you waste hours on the phone to get rid of something you never asked for is just one example.
But certainly real punishment should happen. I'd even go as far as to say all their practices should be investigated to ensure they're not breaking the law in any other scenarios.
@rune Agreed that Comcast has been one of the most egregious violators, but so is Verizon, collecting fees for universal broadband (fios) but then not delivering.
New York even sued Verizon over this. https://www.wired.com/story/new-york-city-verizon-internet/
My assertion around punishment is root in knowing that fines for a company aren't motivators for people. They just become the cost of doing business. Even personal fines for the ultra-rich don't mean much. Jail time OTOH combined with asset seizure- that'll scare them.
@emacsen indeed. It requires mix of stricter enforcement and rethinking the frame for how large corporations can be punished.
Clearly the framework is outdated and not capable of dealing with corporations the figurative size of countries.
@emacsen companies that operate near monopolies should face much stricter investigation too.
There are no free market forces to help here, so the state must step up.