Re:FCC fines Swarm $900K for unauthorized satellite launch
by bobthepanda on Friday December 21, 2018 @02:36PM
(#18735896)
What exactly would be a good alternative? Jail time is also not a good penalty. See: marijuana.
The fines, by contrast, seem to be working pretty well: how many other companies get busted by the FCC for violating satellite launching regulations? The fact that it is so rare is a testament to how effective the deterrent has been in regulating companies in this space.
Re:FCC fines Swarm $900K for unauthorized satellite launch
by Traster on Friday December 21, 2018 @03:50PM
(#18736528)
I think the fact that Swarm consulted with the FCC, had their plan to launch satellites rejected and then decided to launch anyway indicates the fines weren't suitable. A simple 3 year ban on further launches would've changed that. I find the fact that Swarm did this knowingly particularly egregious. I'm also not sure the lack of violations is a good indicator that the FCC is working since I don't think there's a particularly big sample of companies doing this for other structural reasons.
The fact is that all the examples in the grand parent post involved businesses that could have operated legally but chose not to because they could make the economic decision to break laws to profit from fast expansion. In my view laws should be written with penalties to prevent people from breaking them, not as some sort of toll booth.