In a decisive move to safeguard the principles of an open internet, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has voted to restore net neutrality rules, reversing the deregulatory efforts implemented during the Trump administration. The restoration of these rules, passed with a 3-2 vote along party lines, represents a significant shift in the regulation of broadband internet and has set the stage for a major legal confrontation with the broadband industry.
FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel, a Democrat, articulated the agency’s intent, stating, “The FCC believes every consumer deserves internet access that is fast, open, and fair.” This reinstatement marks the fulfillment of a priority for President Joe Biden, who, in July 2021, signed an executive order encouraging the FCC to revive the 2015 open internet rules championed during the Obama administration. These regulations underscore the principle that internet service providers (ISPs) must treat all internet traffic equally, barring them from favoring or blocking specific content or services.
Critics of the rollback, which include public interest groups and technology giants, argue that net neutrality is crucial for maintaining a level playing field online. Free Press, a public interest group, lauded the FCC’s vote as a “major victory for the public interest,” asserting that it empowers the FCC to hold ISPs accountable for a range of potential harms to users nationwide. Moreover, tech industry leaders, represented by the Computer & Communications Industry Association, which includes companies like Amazon, Apple, and Google’s parent Alphabet, endorsed the net neutrality rules, calling for their reinstatement to preserve open access to the internet.
However, the restoration has not been met without opposition. A coalition of Republican lawmakers decried the move as “an illegal power grab,” and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce criticized the FCC’s action, claiming it will stifle investment and innovation necessary to connect all Americans. USTelecom, which represents prominent ISPs such as AT&T and Verizon, echoed these sentiments, labeling the reinstatement “entirely counterproductive, unnecessary, and an anti-consumer regulatory distraction.”
The new net neutrality rules also reclassify the internet as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934, granting the FCC broader authority over ISPs. This reclassification is aimed at enhancing consumer protection, promoting cybersecurity, and expanding high-speed internet access. Rosenworcel affirmed, “The action we take here is good for consumers, public safety, national security, and network investment.”
The vote marks the latest development in a long-standing conflict between regulators advocating for consumer protections to ensure equal treatment of all websites, and ISPs opposing the rules as excessive government intervention.
Relevant articles:
– Net neutrality rules restored by US agency, reversing Trump, reuters.com, 04/26/2024
– Net neutrality is back as FCC votes to regulate internet providers, CNN, Thu, 25 Apr 2024 21:35:00 GMT
– FCC Votes to Restore Net Neutrality. Here’s What It Means for You, CNET, Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:00:00 GMT
– FCC restores Obama-era net neutrality and broadband rules, StateScoop, Thu, 25 Apr 2024 19:53:41 GMT
– Net neutrality is back: FCC bars broadband providers from meddling with internet speed, CBS News, Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:01:35 GMT