The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission plans to announce Wednesday a controversial proposal that would prohibit Internet providers from favoring or discriminating against any traffic that goes over their networks.
He would do so, however, without resorting to the more drastic step of changing the way the FCC regulates broadband providers, a move that would have more clearly asserted the government’s authority over Internet access.
In a statement provided to reporters in advance of Wednesday’s announcement, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said he thinks he has “a sound legal basis” to pursue so-called net-neutrality rules that would prevent companies such as Verizon, Comcast and AT&T from blocking or serving up some Web sites faster and at better quality than others.
Last summer, Genachowski said he would move to reclassify broadband as something akin to more heavily regulated telephone service, after a federal appeals court threw the government’s position as Web access regulator into question. The court said in April that the FCC had no legal authority to sanction Comcast for blocking files shared through the BitTorrent application.
Broadband companies strongly resisted being reclassified, and now Genachowski has shifted his approach.
Read More: By Cecilia Kang, Washington Post
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It will be interesting to see how this plays out, and how Republicans–who recently opposed a Democratic version of a net neutrality bill–choose to react.
After all, major corporations hate the idea of net neutrality, while among the wacky liberals who supported the net neutrality plan that Republicans opposed were the Pat Robertson-founded "Christian Coalition of America, the Gunowners of America, the National Religious Broadcasters, and the Parents Television Council, whose founder, Brent Bozell, frequently appears on Fox News" (and on this site): http://www.cc.org/blog/net_neutrality_not_some_ma…
Without net neutrality in some form, chances are one day it will be almost impossible for someone to find the Western "Journalism" Center site or WorldNetDaily via a search engine. So OK, it wouldn't be all bad.
CALLING JOE MCCARTHY-THESE COMMUNIST BASTARDS HAD BETTER BACK OFF!!
The Fed government is dying to get control of the Internet. It sees a bottomless supply of revenue gained by fastening to Net providers the usual draconian taxes and regulations it afixes to all American business. The Internet is the last vestige of free speech available to Americans and any intrusion into the realm by the Fed government should be resisted with fervor.
TO FLOYD AND MARY BROWN,,,BSBSBSBSBSBSBSBS YOU ARE FULL OF SHIZZEN , YOU WRITE A TYPICLE STORY , O'H THE GUY WE LIKE IS SSSOOO GOOD AND EVERYBODY ELSE IS BEHOLDING TO BIG BAD BUSINESS AND THJEY BOUGHT THEIR WAY AND BULLLSHIT AND BULLSHIT,,,THE STUPID VOTERS JUST DIDN'T SEE IT OUR WAY WAHWAHWAH, THE VOTERS TOLD YOU AND THE REPUB'S WHER THE BEAR CRAPED GOT IT DUMBASS /….
NICE USE OF ALL CAPS. I SEE JAMES ISN"T HERE TO POINT THAT OUT BECAUSE
HE MOST LIKELY LIKES THIS COMMENT.
SELECTIVE?
While I appreciate the sentiment behind the comment, I'm not a fan of all caps, atrocious spelling or crude language, regardless of where it comes from. But thanks for noticing that I had been away for a while. I'm glad you missed me.
I'm glad this article was here so I could comment. I recieved a Manhattan Declaration email today, concerning apple's removal of their app. When I tried to click on the link to sign the petition to jeve stobs it went no where. It just sat there like it was loading. I tried several times. One time I left for about 20 minutes and did other things and came back to see it just sitting there, blank screen little green bar half way, but not loading. Maybe this seems trivial to some. But I see it as further evidence of what is being done to us. I am proud to be an American, when I see all the positive things conservatives have been doing to peacefully combat the outright lies and straight blocking of information "the left" has been doing to us.
I am fearful that we are on the verge of a group of aristocrats playing for the money and selling America out, and not in a revamp the constitution kinda way…. in a "let's discredit them and chase them down and after we have them singled out and have public opinion in our favor we can kill them or at least throw them into a prison with no rights" kinda way…. like a lion singling out a gazelle from the hundreds it's with and taking it down. If we do not speak with louder voices we are going to lose this war before it has begun. When one side controls information and gives a one sided slant with out legitimate reporting of an entire issue, public opinion becomes skewed, once it has been askew long enough it becomes irrelevant.
Are we going to sit by and wait for that day to come? Is that what real revolution is about? Or is there something those of us who are awake to this can do? I don't know about the rest of you, and by no means do I advocate violence, but IF there is a person who stole our presidency and is doing everything in his power to give all of our belongings (including our inalienable rights) to everyone else in the world that has money or social standing (because they're the ones who deserve it, right?) except US… what does that say to the rest of the world when we say… oh, impeach, oh trial, oh proper legal channels…. it says that we are undeserving COWARDS!!!
I am no fool and I know what I'm saying runs a dangerous line…. but this isn't some college excersise. This isn't a hypothetical made for tv movie where the hero is gonna do what he does and everything works out in the end. We have used our first ammendment only to find it being taken away from us… of course they would take it from us… they have no reason not to…. why? because there's a piece of hemp that says we can talk? what will that paper do except burn? Nothing! It is OUR constitution, our souls that have been verbalized and explained on that paper… the document won't protect us. WE MUST PROTECT IT! because it is a 230 y/o reminder to our enemies, when we get up off the ground and clock their jaw to the back of their neck that WE WARNED YOU, WE EXPLAINED OURSELVES FIRST, AND WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO KILL ANYONE WHO TRIES TO STEAL OUR SOUL. Wake up and stop cowering in the shadows because their unjust light is falling on anyone they disagree with.
Heaven forbid that we the people have something that the government can't control and tax or enact draconian fees and that offers real free speech .
"The Fed government is dying to get control of the Internet." … "Heaven forbid that we the people have something that the government can't control."
Too bad you folks don't realize that it's not the government or "the people" who essentially "control the Internet"–it's major corporations that without net neutrality have the power to keep you from seeing anything they don't want you to see or that doesn't put up big bucks–things such as this website, for example.
The Federal Government has no business in what happens on the internet. This needs to be stopped.
"The Federal Government has no business in what happens on the internet."
So for the sake of consistency I assume you think the government should ignore WikiLeaks, Internet porn, and if your sole available Internet provider thinks you shouldn't be allowed to access any conservative websites.
"The Federal Government has no business in what happens on the internet."
That is the only thing in your post that makes any sense James.
WTF does that have to do with letting the Feds into an area that is totally free of them commy bastards. WikiLeaks and Internet Porn can be handled on a local level or on a venue that has
nothing to do with the Internet. You do not set the barn on fire just because someone left the
door open.
I assume you'll lodge similar complaints with Christian Coalition of America, the Gunowners of America, the National Religious Broadcasters, Brent Bozell and the Parents Television Council, all of whom support net neutrality–"commies" that they are.