Does it make sense to ban businesses from charging higher prices to some customers for giving them preferential treatment over others?

That idea lies at the heart of Barack Obama’s promised policy towards the internet, a medium that had more than a passing role in his election to the White House. It is a proposal that should be dropped from the new administration’s agenda as soon as decently possible. Other countries where the issue has started to raise its head, such as the UK, should also tread carefully before attempting their own regulation.