Internet Group Blasts AOL Hypocrisy

The Internet anti-regulatory group Hands Off the Net has slammed America Online, Inc. saying the company has, “The worst case of corporate hypocrisy on the web.” The statement comes after AOL blocked instant messaging software from several companies, most recently AT&T, from communicating with users of its online service.

AT&T and Tribal Voice jointly released the new I M Here software Wednesday; AOL blocked the software shortly thereafter. Since Wednesday, AOL has blocked AT&T’s software several times. Software engineers from Tribal Voice have worked around the block each time, most recently posting a new version Friday afternoon, which has not yet been blocked.

AT&T spokesperson Richard Blasi noted the usage of previously published public messaging protocol found in AOL's own TiK client when questioned by eFront. Blasi stated, "AT&T I M Here uses Pow-Wow instant messaging software to allow our members to connect with AIM members through a publicly published protocol. AOL's blocking of this seamless communications feature, is basically like erecting a "Berlin Wall" between the entire Internet community and its members." Blasi also told eFront, "Think of it this way, it's sort of like AT&T telling its long distance customers that they can't call someone who has MCI as their carrier."

Christopher Wolf, President of Hands Off the Net, said, “When it comes to corporate flip-flops, AOL does more gyrations than the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team. Earlier this year, the company repeatedly blocked users of Yahoo!, MSN and Prodigy from sending instant messages to its subscribers. Yet the company publicly called for open standards of communication and stated that it wanted to open its network.”

America Online’s hypocrisy comes from demands for free, open access to the high-speed data networks of AT&T Cable Services, formerly TCI, and other cable operators. Ironically, AOL has blocked every attempt to offer interoperability between the instant messaging services since the MSN Messenger Service debuted in July.

Mr. Wolf also stated, "But then, faced with the consequences of its own bad decision not to invest in broadband services, AOL this year has decided that a patchwork of local regulations on cable Internet systems is just fine. Fortunately, local and federal regulators have repeatedly rejected the company's efforts.”

In contrast to AOL, Microsoft has worked closely with AT&T and Tribal Voice to enable the I M Here software to interoperate with the MSN Messenger Service. Representatives from both AT&T and Microsoft have announced their disappointment with AOL’s actions.

Microsoft spokesperson Melissa Wilson told eFront, “We're happy to be working directly with Tribal Voice to provide the interoperability between IM services that consumers are asking for. It's a great way we can work together to provide interop until the IM standard is available.”

In July, Microsoft released its MSN Messenger Service that allowed users to communicate with members of AOL Instant Messenger. Shortly after its release, AOL blocked the service and was caught in a cat and mouse game with Microsoft. After several weeks, Microsoft stopped updating the software on a daily basis, citing the fact that AOL was exploiting a serious security flaw in the AOL Instant Messenger Service to block MSN's software.