US regulator publishes proposal to abolish net neutrality
The US regulator FCC has presented the final version of the proposal to abolish net neutrality. Neutrality will largely disappear, with the less strict regime of the Federal Trade Commission leading the way.
Under the new rules, ISPs are given free rein to experiment with speeding up and slowing down internet speeds. In addition, they are allowed to prioritize their own traffic and block certain content. For example, companies may also charge higher rates for certain services. Individual states will not be given the opportunity to create their own rules that go against the new net neutrality rules; such laws will then not be valid.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement that by introducing the new rules, the federal government will stop “micromanaging” the Internet. He denounces the strict rules for telecom providers introduced by the FCC in 2015, which happened under then-President Obama. Pai considers these “unnecessary and old-fashioned rules” as they would hinder business investment, innovation and job creation. Under the new rules, providers must disclose it publicly if, for example, they treat certain internet traffic with priority.
When the new rules go into effect, oversight will shift from the FCC to the Federal Trade Commission. This gives telecom providers more freedom and space to operate, because the FTC cannot force parties to act in a certain way like the FCC. If a provider breaks the rules and the FTC wants to do something about it, this committee must first go to court to enforce it.
The FCC is expected to vote on the proposal on December 14. It will most likely be accepted. It had been known for some time that the FCC was planning to significantly weaken net neutrality. US President Donald Trump has named Pai as the new chairman of the regulator at the beginning of this year. Prior to that, Pai was the FCC’s highest-ranking Republican committee member. After his appointment, Pai said that net neutrality regulation would be one of the first FCC rules to disappear under Trump.