As the FCC winds down its lip-service commenting period on Chairman Ajit Pai’s plan to roll back net neutrality rules that stop internet service providers from interfering with the things you do and see online, we wanted to remind you of that time we challenged more than a dozen cable companies — all of whom publicly claimed to love the core ideas of neutrality — if they would put those rules into a legally binding contract; not one of them said yes. [More]
net neutrality
Lawmakers Seek Investigation Into Alleged Attack On FCC Commenting System
By 8.18.17
When the FCC’s new leadership officially began the process of dismantling net neutrality rules, it didn’t come as much of a surprise when an overwhelming amount of traffic crashed the Commission’s public commenting system. After all, it happened a few years ago when these rules were being written. What did surprise people was the FCC’s claim — made without providing any additional information — that the system failure was not the result of too many people trying to comment, but a malicious attack. The FCC has never fully explained how it reached that conclusion, and now some lawmakers want to know why. [More]
FCC Extends Net Neutrality Comment Period Until End Of August
By 8.14.17
While Ajit Pai, the new pro-industry chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, has pledged to “take a weed-whacker” to the FCC’s net neutrality rules that restrict internet service providers’ ability to interfere with your web use, he’ll have to wait a bit longer to do that regulatory gardening. The FCC has grudgingly decided to extend the current comment period a little longer. [More]
Here’s What Comcast, Verizon, Netflix, And Everyone Else Has To Say About Net Neutrality
By 7.18.17
The initial comment deadline in the FCC’s proceeding to kill off the 2015 Open Internet Rule — that’s net neutrality, to most of us — has now come and gone. More than 8.9 million comments have already come in since May, blowing away the 4 million comment record set by the last time net neutrality came before the Commission in 2014. [More]
No, AT&T, Comcast, And Verizon Are Not Suddenly In Favor Of Net Neutrality
By 7.12.17
Today’s net neutrality day of action has brought out all the usual suspects in favor of keeping the internet free and accessible, but a few unexpected names have shown up today, too. Along with companies like Google, Netflix, Twitter, Facebook, and Amazon, we’re suddenly seeing AT&T, Comcast, and a couple of telecom lobbying groups out in front, claiming they love net neutrality. But is it true?
Spoiler: Nope. [More]
Why It Seems Like The Entire Internet Is Talking About Net Neutrality Today
By 7.12.17
Today, a huge swath of the internet is taking a break from our regularly scheduled cat photos, *.gif memes, and political news to talk about something that affects the entire internet: net neutrality. [More]
FCC Has No Interest In Figuring Out Who Filed Fake Anti-Neutrality Comments In Your Name
By 7.11.17
Usually if your identity is stolen, there’s something you can do about it: Call a business, file a dispute over a charge, or contact law enforcement. But if someone “borrows” your identity to file a fake comment with an open government proceeding — like, say, the one in progress to kill off net neutrality — there may be diddly squat you can do. [More]
Former FCC Chair Tom Wheeler: Net Neutrality Fight Destined For Courtroom
By 6.27.17
Despite millions of public comments and objections from businesses and consumer groups nationwide, the Trump administration’s FCC seems determined to go ahead and kill off net neutrality as soon as possible. While this rule, which prohibits internet service providers from having any say in what you do online, is likely headed for reversal in the months to come, it’s not dead yet, and former FCC Chair Tom Wheeler says it will likely be up to a court to decide if the rule gets discarded, which is why it’s important for supporters to get their concerns on the record. [More]
Netflix Changes Its Mind, Decides Maybe It Does Care About Net Neutrality Again
By 6.15.17
Netflix, once a loudmouthed supporter of net neutrality — the concept that your internet service provider should no say in what you do or where you go online — but Netflix CEO Reed Hastings recently shrugged off the need for neutrality as something that was important to the company a decade ago, but which it not longer really needs. Either not everyone at Netflix is as flippant as their CEO or Hastings has had a change of heart. [More]
Netflix Doesn’t Care As Much About Net Neutrality Anymore Because It’s Big Enough Not To
By 5.31.17 — Updated: 6.1.17
Here we are, fighting the net neutrality fight again. The battle lines are drawn and basically everyone is right where they were the last time we did this, back in 2014 and 2015, with one key player missing from the debate: Netflix. The streaming video service that once defiantly asked why ISPs weren’t paying it extra for making their service worthwhile is absent this time around. Why? According to its CEO, Netflix just doesn’t need to care as much anymore. [More]
Former FCC Commissioner Uses Terror Attacks To Make Worst-Ever Argument Against Net Neutrality
By 5.31.17
There are many misleading, questionable, and frankly just plain bad arguments against net neutrality out there these days, but a former FCC commissioner may have outdone them all for pure inanity, somehow blaming the push for an open internet for global terrorism. [More]
Comcast Backs Off On Threat To Sue Operators Of ‘Comcastroturf’
By 5.26.17
Comcast didn’t win over many people when it recently threatened legal action against Comcastroturf.com, a website created by net neutrality advocates to call attention to the trove of fake anti-neutrality comments filed with the FCC. After some reflection, Comcast has decided it won’t sue to take the website down. [More]
Comcast Threatens Legal Action Against Net Neutrality Advocates Over Comcastroturf.com
By 5.24.17
Though Comcast loves to slap its various brand names over everything it can, the company is apparently none too happy that net neutrality advocates have invoked the Comcast name in their efforts to find out who is behind a trove of fake anti-neutrality comments filed with the FCC. [More]
18 Cable Companies Promise To Support Net Neutrality; None Will Guarantee You In Writing
By 5.19.17
Every time the net neutrality fight comes back around, we hear the same tired promise from the cable industry: We love net neutrality, we will promise you net neutrality, just don’t pass or enforce any laws that actually require us to do it. [More]
How To Tell The FCC Just What You Think Of Its Plan To Break Net Neutrality
By 5.18.17 — Updated: 7.12.17
Do you like being able to access what you want on the internet without Comcast, Charter, AT&T, or some other ISP slowing it down, blocking it, or charging you extra? Well, bad news: The FCC has begun a process that will — unless things change dramatically in the coming months — repeal rules intended to protect internet users from this sort of interference. Here’s the better news: You can tell them what you think about that. [More]
FCC Votes To Move Forward With Process Of Killing Net Neutrality
By 5.18.17
As expected, the Federal Communications Commission voted 2-1 this morning to move forward with Chairman Ajit Pai’s plan to roll back “net neutrality” rules that currently prevent internet service providers from having any say in what you see or do online. [More]
Could FCC Commissioner Choose Nuclear Option And Resign To Protect Net Neutrality?
By 5.16.17
Later this week, the three sitting members of the Federal Communications Commission are expected to vote 2-1 in favor of officially beginning the process of killing net neutrality. The lone neutrality defender on the FCC stands little chance of swaying her colleagues, leading some to speculate that she could slow down the repeal effort by removing herself from the equation altogether. [More]
People Whose Names Were Used In Anti-Net Neutrality Spam Want FCC To Investigate
FCC Chair Ajit Pai recently shrugged off concerns about the hundreds of thousands of bogus, identical anti-net neutrality comments filed with the Commission, saying it was something for his IT folks to look into. But the real human beings whose names were used on those fake filings are not as indifferent, and are calling on Pai to investigate. [More]