Links are what make the web! When you're talking paid links, you're talking about breaking the foundations of the net and limiting the free flow of information. It's that simple.

Content you see will be limited to whatever companies have made agreements with each other. Organic search would just be broken.

As paid links are in complete opposition to the way the net works, government intervention is required to dictate the rules of information. Politicians will decide what we see, what services will be given benefits and who misses out.