{
  "id": "RS20688",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RS20688",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 102835,
      "date": "2002-03-28",
      "retrieved": "2016-05-24T20:12:50.712941",
      "title": "Instant Messaging on the Internet: Interoperability Issues of Competition and Fair Access",
      "summary": "Instant Messaging (IM) is one of the fastest growing Internet applications. The recent debate\nabout\nIM is related to the broad issues of open access rules and competition in the high speed Internet\nservice and cable television markets. Although IM technology has evolved largely independent of\nformal regulation, a review of the AOL-Time Warner (AOL-TW) merger brought issues of\ninteroperability (the ability to exchange messages between multiple IM services) among IM services\nunder scrutiny both in the US and Europe. Concerns about open access and accessibility for the\ndisabled, have been raised by Members of Congress, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the\nFederal Communications Commission (FCC), and the European Commission (EC). These issues\nhighlight the growing complexity of regulating converging technologies. This report discusses the\ntechnology behind instant messaging and provides an overview of the issues. It will be updated as\nnecessary.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
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          "format": "PDF",
          "encoding": null,
          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RS20688",
          "sha1": "3dc0e5489e75ae56b992e8173308b078d9d34100",
          "filename": "files/20020328_RS20688_3dc0e5489e75ae56b992e8173308b078d9d34100.pdf",
          "images": null
        },
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "filename": "files/20020328_RS20688_3dc0e5489e75ae56b992e8173308b078d9d34100.html"
        }
      ],
      "topics": []
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Science and Technology Policy"
  ]
}