[ April 24, 2024 ]
The Federal Communications Commission is aiming to kill rules implemented by Barack Obama’s administration that demand fair Internet traffic treatment — part of the net neutrality rules.
Moreover, the FCC could very well toss the entire regulatory mandate, say those in the know.
Republicans have been pressing for a killing of the rules for years. Democrats, however, have stood firm.
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Bloomberg has more:
The move would reignite a years-long debate that has seen Republicans and broadband providers seeking to eliminate the rules, while Democrats and technology companies support them. The regulations passed in 2015 bar broadband providers such as AT&T Inc. and Comcast Corp. from interfering with web traffic sent by Google, Facebook Inc. and others.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, chosen by President Donald Trump, in April proposed gutting the rules and asked for public reaction. The agency has taken in more than 22 million comments on the matter.
Pai plans to seek a vote in December, said two people who asked not to be identified because the matter hasn’t been made public. As the head of a Republican majority, he is likely to win a vote on whatever he proposes.
One of the people said Pai may call for vacating the rules except for portions that mandate internet service providers inform customers about their practices — one of the more severe options that would please broadband providers. They argue the FCC’s rules aren’t needed and discourage investment, in part because they subject companies to complex and unpredictable regulations.
Democrats and technology companies say the rules are needed to make sure telecommunications providers don’t favor business partners or harm rivals.
The agency declined to comment on the timing of a vote. “We don’t have anything to report at this point,” said Tina Pelkey, a spokeswoman for the commission.
Pai in April proposed that the FCC end the designation of broadband companies as common carriers. That would remove the legal authority that underpins the net neutrality rules.
Pai could also choose not to find authority in the FCC’s powers to promote broadband. That would leave the rules without an apparent legal footing, leading in turn to a conclusion the agency lacks authority even to issue revised, less-stringent regulations.
The April proposal also asked the agency to consider lifting bans on blocking web traffic or on building “fast lanes” that favor those willing to pay more for faster service.
News of the December vote drew immediate reactions.
“Abandoning bipartisan net neutrality principles threatens to kill the streaming revolution and will hurt businesses, large and small, who are migrating to the cloud at record speeds,” said Chip Pickering, chief executive officer of the Incompas trade group with members including online shopping giant Amazon.com Inc. and video streamer Netflix Inc.
“Chairman Pai’s affection for AT&T and Comcast holds great political risk for President Trump and the entire Republican Party,” Pickering said in an emailed statement. “No one wants to see the internet turned into cable and have to pay more for streaming services they love.”
Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, part of the FCC’s Democratic minority, said the agency is headed down a “destructive path” that doesn’t help consumers.
“What consumers want is access to a free and open internet without fear of being throttled or assessed a toll by their broadband service provider,” Clyburn said in an emailed statement.
The current regulations forbid broadband providers from blocking or slowing web traffic, or from charging higher fees in return for quicker passage over their networks.
Supporters of the rules say they are needed to keep network owners from unfairly squelching rivals and discouraging web startups. Critics say the rules discourage investment while exposing companies to a threat of heavier regulation including pricing mandates, and that marketplace competition will discipline broadband providers.
The regulation survived a court challenge from broadband providers last year.
Trump’s White House has opposed the rules. In July, as Pai’s critics protested, a White House spokesman said the administration “supports the FCC’s efforts to roll back burdensome, monopoly-era regulations.”
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14 Comments
6 years ago
If you gut the rule broadband providers can block websites they choose till they are paid a fee running into millions – legalised blackmail.
Get rid of obama holdovers and Jeff session so hillary and her gang can be prosecuted.
Here’s why – Hillary mafia killed witness to email investigation
http://tinyurl.com/y8p9cv5l
6 years ago
Absolutely every piece of legislation that the obimbo administration passed, must be rescinded as it was all designed to oppress everyone, especially Americans.
6 years ago
Reply to
Mahou Shoujo
President Trump’s first official act as President on Jan. 20, 2017, should have been the unsealing of Obama’s college transcripts and other documentation that would’ve proven that Obama was UNQUALIFIED to be President, and should never have held office. That would make every thing Obama had done, null and void.
6 years ago
Reply to
Jackie Puppet
I don’t see why he couldn’t, if one of Obama’s first executive orders was to seal his transcripts.
The big question of course is WHY didn’t Trump unseal them?
6 years ago
Reply to
Jackie Puppet
Like there is honour among thieves, the same principle applies to politicians, they may fight and squabble at the bottom, but at the top, they are all part of the same club.
6 years ago
More of the destruction of the Republic, this time thanks to the Republicans, in particular Mitch McConnell (who got Ajit Pai appointed to the FCC under Obama in the first place). Trump had to give McConnell something, imo, and this was it. Big mistake. We see what has happened to journalism after the media was “liberated” from the Fairness Doctrine under Ronald Reagan. Politics has destroyed any semblance of fair and balanced reporting. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairness_Doctrine
FWIW: Republicans claim that net neutrality stiffles innovation and investment. Google and Facebook have come out in defense of net neutrality. Who do you believe? Ajit Pai? I don’t.
6 years ago
Reply to
RCCA
Agreed. Trump is doing his bit to drain the swamp. It is up to the voters to complete the act.
6 years ago
Reply to
RCCA
RCCA,
All that means is the regulations help Google & Faceplantbook and hurt anyone who would compete w|them!
The EFF doesn’t think the regulations are a good thing, and they have been around since (almost) the start of the ‘net. They’ve gone to bat for the hoi-paloi!
One of their most high profile accomplishments was to force the US government to recategorize encryption technology (software and hardware) from “ordinance” to another category so the hoi-paloi could legally get good encryption tech!
I know this firsthand, having worked on encryption tech in the 1970’s through the 1990’s.
It was a headache producing anything of value b|c the government had complete control over what civilians were allowed!
– Gordon
6 years ago
Reply to
Gordon TheGrumpus
Your comment is not clear to me. What is the EFF? Net Neutrality is not the same as encryption so what does that have to do with this topic? Is your point that you are opposed to any and all regulation? I disagree.
I’m not in favor of unlimited government interference and warrantless wiretaps and surveillance but I think at some point there is a need for government involvement, some authority, and what encryption levels are available for civilians. Just like private citizens can not drive down the street in military vehicles, have fully operational automatic rifles, etc.
The loss of net neutrality would be like having your electric or gas utility delivery being dependent on market forces. Different levels of delivery depending on how much you can pay. Information delivery dependent on the bias of the internet provider. Not good for maintaining a free society.
MItch McConnell’s biggest contributor is the investment industry, companies such as the Blackstone Group and Goldman Sachs. They are only focused on their ability to generate profits and nothing else.
6 years ago
FCC rules that used to affect us where I live…
6 years ago
It seems to me that the net neutrality rule should remain in effect.
6 years ago
Perceptive as always, President Trump has learned the first rule of being an effective and memorable Chief Executive, watch what Obhammud did and then don’t do that.
6 years ago
LOL! Say NO to Negro policies. They are waycist.
6 years ago
These regulations help keep the Internet free of predatory practices that harm the consumer and our free speech right.
Companies like Comcast would be free to decide who sees what and at what cost if we get rid of the net neutrality.
Getting rid of it would spell the end of the Internet as we know it.
What Obama did that was really bad was to hand over ICANN to the UN. That was outright sabotage, and it will eventually be the end of free speech for us. ICANN decides who gets to put up web sites on the Internet.
Once ICANN was in the hands of the UN, then the SJWs quickly seized control over it. Now, in the future the communist SJWs will determine who gets to participate on the Internet.
