Net neutrality - live updates: Politicians prepare to fight against FCC's decision to scrap rules protecting internet freedoms
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Your support makes all the difference.The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), under the direction of President Trump, has voted to repeal Obama-era rules governing net neutrality.
The five-person board has voted in favour of ending net neutrality, a decision that could have a huge effect on the way the internet works.
Supporters of net neutrality say the move could open the door for internet service providers (ISPs) to charge customers more and dictate what people use the internet for.
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Immediately after the vote, Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson said he intended to file a legal challenge against the vote. It is unlikely to be the last.
ISPs greeted the news warmly, but Senator Ed Markey a Democrat from Massachusetts said he would be looking to introduce an act in Congress calling for a review of the FCC decision. he labelled it a "historic mistake".
Now that the US government has rolled back the internet protections it put in place two years ago, the big question is: What does the repeal of "net neutrality' rules mean to you?
In the short term, the answer is simple: Not much. But over time, your ability to watch what you want to watch online and to use the apps that you prefer could start to change.
Your mobile carrier, for instance, might start offering you terrific deals for signing up to its own video service, just as your YouTube app starts suffering unexpected connection errors. Or you could wake one day to learn that your broadband provider is having a tiff with Amazon, and has slowed down its shopping site in order to extract business concessions.
All of which would be perfectly legal under the new de-regulatory regime approved Thursday by the Federal Communications Commission, so long as the companies post their policies online. Broadband providers insist they won't do anything that harms the "internet experience" for consumers.
It's fair to say people haven't reacted well to Donald Trump's son's comments on net neutrality, which insinuates most people who claim to care about the issue don't really understand it.
A reminder of what happened on Thursday:
The US Federal Communication Comission repealed Obama-era "net neutrality" rules, scrapping the longtime principle that all web traffic must be treated equally. The move represents a radical departure from more than a decade of federal oversight.
The big telecommunications companies had lobbied hard to overturn the rules, contending they are heavy-handed and discourage investment in broadband networks.
"What is the FCC doing today?" asked FCC chairman Ajit Pai, a Republican. "Quite simply, we are restoring the light-touch framework that has governed the internet for most of its existence."
Under the new rules approved Thursday, companies like Comcast, Verizon and AT&T would be free to slow down or block access to services they don't like. They could also charge higher fees to rivals and make them pay up for higher transmission speeds, or set up "fast lanes" for their preferred services — in turn, relegating everyone else to "slow lanes."
Those possibilities have stirred fears among consumer advocates, Democrats, many web companies and ordinary Americans afraid that the cable and phone giants will be able to control what people see and do online.
Reuters writes that the net neutrality issue could be an opportunity for the Democrats to try and win over millennial supporters:The U.S. Federal Communications Commission vote on Thursday to roll back net neutrality rules could galvanize young voters, a move Democrats hope will send millennials to the polls in greater numbers and bolster their chances in next year's elections.Democrats are hoping to paint the repeal of the rules by the FCC, which is now chaired by President Donald Trump appointee Ajit Pai, as evidence Republicans are uninterested in young people and consumer concerns at large."The American public is angry," said FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, a Democrat. She added that the actions of the Republican majority have "awoken a sleeping giant."Attitudes toward "net neutrality," or rules that prevent internet providers from limiting customers' access to certain websites or slowing download speeds for specific content, are largely split along party lines in Congress. The heated debate has turned into the kind of election issue that Democrats think will help them.Studies show young people disproportionately use the internet compared with older Americans and polls have shown they feel passionately about fair and open internet access. Democrats believe the issue may resonate with younger voters who may not be politically active on other issues like taxes or foreign policy.U.S. Senator Brian Schatz, a Hawaii Democrat, said on Twitter "young people need to take the lead on net neutrality. It's possible for Millennial political leadership to make a real difference here."The scrapping of the Obama administration's rules is likely to set up a court battle and could redraw the digital landscape, with internet service providers possibly revising how Americans view online content. The providers could use new authority to limit or slow some websites or offer "fast lanes" for certain content.Republicans on the FCC have sought to reassure young people that their ability to access the internet will not change after the rules take effect. People who favor the move argue that after users realize that little or nothing has changed in their internet access, it will not resonate as a political issue.Jesse Ferguson, a Democratic strategist, said polls have found young people are favoring Democrats in the most recent elections and that the net neutrality issue could be used to gather support in the 2018 midterm congressional elections.He said while older voters tend to care about Medicare, polls are finding that younger voters are motivated by net neutrality."Net neutrality is the latest data point for voters that the administration is more interested in doing what big companies want them to do, than what people think is in their interest," Ferguson said. "That's a narrative that is politically toxic for Republicans.âIn November 2018, all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives will be up for grabs, as will 34 seats in the Senate. Democrats hope to gain control of one or both chambers by capitalizing on the unpopularity of Trump. Republicans currently control both chambers as well as the White House.To regain power, Democrats will need a strong showing of support among young voters, who traditionally have not shown up in large numbers for elections held in years when there is no presidential contest.Liberal groups are using net neutrality as an issue to criticize Republican incumbents.Representative Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington state, echoed that sentiment, telling Reuters on Thursday that net neutrality will have "huge political legs ... This is something that everyone across the country understands - the importance of the internet."The group End Citizens United announced last week a $35 million advertising campaign targeting 20 Republican House members for their stances on issues that relate to business, including net neutrality.Democrats facing difficult election battles next year are already weighing in strongly in favor of net neutrality rules.Senator Bill Nelson likely will face a difficult battle in Florida and sent a letter earlier in the week opposing the change in net neutrality rules. Several Democratic candidates are sending campaign fundraising appeals citing net neutrality.The changes could also become issues in a number of House races across the country, where Democrats will need to win more than 25 seats to control the chamber. Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi also publicly opposed the rule changes, a sign that she wanted to be sure to stake a Democratic position on the issue.
California State Senator Scott Wiener has said he's exploring ways to preserve net neutrality in California.
“In January when the State Legislature reconvenes, I will introduce legislation to require net neutrality in California,” he wrote.
He's exploring several options, and says he'll be working to "craft the bill and formally introduce it" over the next 60 days.
Senator Wiener added: “There are several ways we can bring net neutrality to California. California can regulate business practices to require net neutrality, condition state contracts on adhering to net neutrality, and require net neutrality as part of cable franchise agreements, as a condition to using the public right-of-way for internet infrastructure, and in broadband packages.”
Multiple Attorneys General and Senators have already announced plans to fight the decision to repeal the net neutrality protections, with further resistance expected to be announced over the coming days and weeks.
Pennsylvania State Attorney General Josh Shapiro is one of the figures joining the fight, saying, “I plan to take legal action to protect consumers and block this move by the FCC.”
Ahead of the decision, he shared a letter calling for the vote to be delayed. It was signed by 18 Attorneys General.
Donald Trump Jr., meanwhile, has suggested that the people who are upset about the vote to end net neutrality probably don't understand it, and had never heard of the issue before this week.
Everyone opposed to the FCC’s decision is being urged to do all they can to resist it by making their voices heard and contacting lawmakers.
Senator Ed Markey has said he will call for a Congressional Review Act over the FCC vote result, which could allow Congress to reverse the net neutrality decision, and here’s how to get behind it.
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