Sunday, May 21, 2017

The FCC Did NOT Vote To Roll Back Net Neutrality | The Daily Sheeple

The FCC Did NOT Vote To Roll Back Net Neutrality | The Daily Sheeple
The Federal Communications Commission’s 2-1 vote Thursday on “Restoring Internet Freedom” was not a repeal of net neutrality regulations as many are reporting.
....Thursday’s vote does not immediately repeal 2015 regulations passed under President Obama’s FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler.
The vote initiates a notice of proposed rule-making, during which time industry stakeholders, advocates and the general public can submit comments to the FCC.
net neutrality comparisonThe 2-1 vote fell down party lines, with freshly appointed Republican Federal Communications Commisions Chairman Ajit Pai and Republican Commissioner Mike O’Rielly voting in favor of the measure.
Democratic Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, the daughter of Democratic South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn, voted against the measure.
In 2015, under former Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler, the FCC reclassified broadband internet access service as a utility under Title II of the Communications Act, which gave the FCC stronger oversight authority.
Known as the 2015 Open Internet Order, the new rules established three “bright line rules” that prohibits internet service providers (ISPs) from blocking legal content over their networks, slowing down internet traffic, and prioritizing traffic from websites that are willing to pay to promote their web content over competitors.
Pai has long argued that the 2015 FCC decision to impose Title II utility-style government regulations on internet service providers (ISPs) was misguided and unnecessary.
“These utility-style regulations, known as Title II, were and are like the proverbial sledgehammer being wielded against the flea—except that here, there was no flea,” he said Thursday...
...Opponents of the 2015 order argue that the rules could lead to heavy-handed government interference that hurts business and in turn, hurts consumers. Those same opponents applauded Pai Thursday."

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