After months of protest in opposition to the prospects of a repeal, the Federal Communication Commission went ahead and voted in favor of rolling back net neutrality regulations that were put in place under the Obama administration, on Thursday, December 14.
In a decision that saw the Republicans on the commission outnumber their opposition by a 3-2 margin, the 2015 measure to protect the public from Internet Service Providers (ISPs) perpetuating anti-consumer actions was overturned. In its place, the committee will supplant the old rules with the so-called 'Restoring Internet Freedom' order, which eliminates the standard that had prevented ISPs from over-reaching, and instead puts the onus on the ISPs to disclose when they've chosen to prioritize or subvert content.
President Trump's appointed FCC Chairman Ajit Pai defended the move to strip regulatory power from those who had provided oversight for the past two years, stating, "It is time for the Internet once again to be driven by engineers and entrepreneurs and consumers, rather than lawyers and accountants and bureaucrats." The move is controversial, as many believe that it will enable such huge broadband providers as AT&T and Verizon to manipulate consumers for the benefit of their bottom line.
Consumer protection advocate, Sen. Ed Markey tweeted his objection to the rule, stating: "Don’t let Ajit Pai's FCC fool you. The ONLY people benefitting from the repeal of #NetNeutrality are massive corporations that are already reaping in enormous profits. They want to end the internet as we know it to create a digital oligarchy that serves the wealthy few."
Source: usatoday.com
