Net neutrality rules are being overturned by the FCC. The vote of the commission was 3-2. The Obama-era regulations required Internet service providers to treat all traffic equally. Repealing the rules means telecom giants can speed up, slow down or block traffic from certain websites and apps. Republican Commissioner Brendan Carr said net neutrality amounts to massive government overreach. Republican FCC Chairman Ajit Pai called it heavy-handed government regulation and micro-management. Pai mocked critics of repealing the rules, insisting that the sky is not falling and the Internet will remain open.
Democratic Commissioner Mignon Clyburn said the ruling represents the death of Internet freedom. She argued that the FCC is handing the keys of the Internet to a handful of multibillon-dollar corporations like AT&T, Verizon and Comcast. Democrat Jessica Rosenworcel called the decision an ugly stain on the FCC. She argued that the commission is coming down on the wrong side of consumers. Rosenworcel said the ruling will be aggressively challenged in court.
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