The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has voted to repeal the landmark net neutrality rules aimed at ensuring an open internet in the country, a move that could potentially reshape the digital landscape in the US.
The decision is likely to result in a court battle as opponents of the move seek to challenge it.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s proposal was approved in a 3-2 vote cast along party lines, and indicates a victory to large internet service providers like Verizon Communications and Comcast Corp. It also marks a victory for Pai in his efforts to revoke the 2015 telecommunications regulations since he took over as the head of the regulatory body.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, a Democrat, has stated that he will be leading a multi-state lawsuit for challenging the reversal.
Voting Held Amidst Protests
Before the vote Democrats, along with several companies like Facebook, Google parent Alphabet Inc, urged Pai to keep the rules which bans service providers from throttling, blocking or charging for content.
Under the new rules, internet service providers have gained sweeping powers to change how consumers are able to access internet but they will now need to disclose changes made to consumers as a result of a freshly added set of transparency requirements.
The meeting to vote on the proposal was held even as protests against the move continued in front of the FCC headquarters and also online.
FCC stated that the rules will come into effect a few months after the White House Office of Management and Budget approves it formally.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders informed reporters that the administration “supports the FCC’s efforts,” adding that the White House always supported “a free and fair internet.”
Regulations Stifling Competition And Innovation
According to Pai the 2015 rules were heavy handed in nature, stifling competition and also innovation in the industry. He has said that the internet ”wasn’t broken in 2015”, and that it was not “digital dystopia” .
For consumers, there might not be an immediate impact but some smaller start ups are concerned that the lack of restrictions could lead to higher costs or content being blocked.
Internet service providers have said that they will not throttle legal content but they might introduce paid prioritization. They have argued that unregulated internet worked well for two decades before the 2015 order.
Republican FCC Commissioner Mike O‘Rielly commented that things like self-driving vehicles and remote medical procedures needing internet may have higher prioritization than “cat videos”. He added that no internet service provider will incur a “PR nightmare” by “attempting to engage in blocking, throttling or improper discrimination.”
Democrats Vow To Fight The New Rules
Citing recent polls, Democrats have pointed out to the unpopularity of the repeal and said that they will pursue a campaign to protect the rules either in the U.S Congress or the courts.
Democratic Senator Edward Markey said he along with 15 other senators was planning on introducing a resolution to undo the repeal and restore the net neutrality rules.
FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, a Democrat, has written a dissent to the FCC order noting that the decision gives internet providers “extraordinary new power.” She pointed out that the service provides had the “the technical ability and business incentive” to manipulate internet traffic,” and the FCC’s vote now gave them “the legal green light to go ahead.”
Several state attorneys general have said previously that they would be opposing the ruling pointing out to the issues with the public comment phase, while others have said that they may mount a legal challenge related to “weaker enforcement.”
