Despite Public Outcry, Trump’s FCC Kills Net Neutrality
Our happiness over the defeat of far right loon Roy Moore comes crashing to a halt today, as the Trump FCC destroys another piece of President Obama’s legacy: FCC repeals net neutrality rules in sweeping act of deregulation.
Federal regulators voted Thursday to allow Internet providers to speed up service for some apps and websites — and block or slow down others — in a decision repealing landmark, Obama-era regulations for broadband companies such as AT&T and Verizon.
The move to deregulate the telecom and cable industry is a major setback for tech companies, consumer groups and Democrats who lobbied heavily against the decision. And it marks a significant victory for Republicans who vowed to roll back the efforts of the prior administration, despite a recent survey showing that 83 percent of Americans — including 3 out of 4 Republicans — opposed the plan.
Led by Chairman Ajit Pai, the Federal Communications Commission and its two other GOP members on Thursday followed through on a promise to repeal the government’s 2015 net neutrality rules, which sought to force Internet providers to treat all online services, large and small, equally. The agency also went a step further, rejecting much of its own authority over broadband in a bid to stymie future FCC officials who might seek to regulate providers.
Sen. Ed Markey says the fight may not be over yet, but I’m not very hopeful at this point because the Republican Party is rampaging out of control and giving away huge pieces of the country’s assets to its corporate owners.
I plan to introduce a Congressional Review Act resolution that would restore the Open Internet Order and reverse the @FCC’s historic mistake of repealing #NetNeutrality. This fight is far from over. pic.twitter.com/FTyqf1U83X
— Ed Markey (@SenMarkey) December 14, 2017
The fight continues @JayCStanley explains what you need to do next. #NetNeutality pic.twitter.com/yjcrmD4CyR
— ACLU (@ACLU) December 14, 2017