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Net Neutrality: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

LastWeekTonight · commentary · Watch on YouTube

Networking & internet infrastructureMedia, journalism & propagandaTech industry & business models

What it is

John Oliver's 13-minute Last Week Tonight segment explains the 2014 net neutrality fight over cable companies creating unequal internet speeds. It uses comedy to make a dull regulatory topic engaging and tells viewers how to comment to the FCC.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN commenters use it as the go-to funny, accessible explanation of net neutrality and credit it with driving public comments to the FCC.

  • 7 people recommended it
  • 6 different months
  • 3 strong recommendations
  • first 2014, last 2017

What HN commenters said

  1. “John Oliver did a much better job (and funnier, btw)”

    Better and funnier mainstream explanation of net neutrality

    felipesabino, 2014-09 · Strong recommendation · in “There Are Only Two Weeks Left to Comment on Net Neutrality”

  2. “this video is 13 minutes well spent”

    13 minutes explaining net neutrality, including the FCC chair as a dingo

    e0m, 2015-01 · Strong recommendation · in “The Net Neutrality Bait and Switch”

  3. “He and his team were the most effective drivers for stronger Net Neutrality policies in the US.”

    Drove stronger net neutrality policy and drew 12 million views

    musha68k, 2016-11 · Strong recommendation · in “European Union dedicated questionnaire on the Encryption of Data”

  4. “John Oliver's rant on Net Neutrality (ironically on HBO) sums this up pretty nicely”

    Sums up the competition problem behind US bandwidth pricing

    danesparza, 2014-06 · Recommendation · in “Netflix responds to Verizon”

  5. “John Oliver also talks quite eloquently about this as well”

    John Oliver explains the issue eloquently

    spuiszis, 2014-07 · Recommendation · in “Verizon's accidental mea culpa”

  6. “John Oliver found a good way to explain it”

    A good way to explain net neutrality

    shmerl, 2017-11 · Recommendation · in “FCC plan would give Internet providers power to choose the sites customers see”

  7. “For those who want to understand how closely the government is related to those who benefit from NO net-neutrality.”

    Shows how government is tied to those who benefit from no net neutrality

    sunnykgupta, 2017-11 · Recommendation · in “Join the Battle for Net Neutrality”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: net neutrality, fcc, isp competition, john oliver, telecom policy

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