The Republican-helmed Federal Communications Commission is expected to pull the plug on net neutrality rules in three weeks — but tech companies, entrepreneurs and other concerned users are vowing to not go down without a fight, reports MSNBC.
On one side are internet service providers, who believe rolling back the Obama-era rules will allow them to innovate and offer customers new options at more competitive prices. Tech companies, including Google, Facebook and Apple, have warned that this could set a dangerous precedent, allowing these internet service providers to become gatekeepers of information and entertainment.
Google and Facebook released statements on Tuesday saying they were "disappointed" and expressed concern for the effect that changes could have on consumers.
Engine, a nonprofit group representing more than 1,000 start-ups and investors, released an open letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai detailing how they're worried they won't have a fair chance under his proposal.
"Without net neutrality, the incumbents who provide access to the internet would be able to pick winners or losers in the market. They could impede traffic from our services in order to favor their own services or established competitors," the letter said. "Or they could impose new tolls on us, inhibiting consumer choice."
The FCC's plan to destroy #NetNeutrality may be making many small business owners anxious this Thanksgiving. That's why over 600 businesses have spoken out through https://t.co/elCh05Izn6. Learn more here: https://t.co/Su3u2LGv6e— Fight for the Future (@fightfortheftr) November 23, 2017
The signatories said they're worried these actions could hinder the ability of new entrepreneurs to start a business and have a global reach — shifting the focus away from the quality of their ventures to whether they have the "capacity to pay tolls to internet access providers."
Pai released his plan on Wednesday for ending the Obama-era rules in favor of a "light-touch approach" that would give internet service providers free rein to control your online experience.
That means internet service providers will be able to act as toll keepers, prioritizing traffic to their own sites, controlling the speed a certain page loads — a practice known as "throttling" — and even blocking access to certain sites.
The one caveat: They'll have to disclose these practices, either through an easily accessible public website or by informing the FCC.
In addition, it would return the power to the Federal Trade Commission to advocate for consumers against any anticompetitive practices.
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