How does Anandtech feel about the FCC trying to change the rules of the Internet? (Net Neutrality)

[Stg-Flame]

https://www.battleforthenet.com/

Call the FCC at 1-888-225-5322 (Option 1, option 4, option 2, option 0. You're entering a complaint on proceeding 17-108. Be polite, be concise, and be firm.). Be prepared to wait (some people claim upwards of two hour wait times). Be polite. But call them. Call your congressmen. Call your senators. Call the people who support net neutrality and tell them they have your support. Call the people who oppose net neutrality and tell them why they should change their minds.
US Capitol Switchboard: 1-202-224-3121
Email and phone number of the FCC's Inspector General Hotline: hotline@fcc.gov 1-212-418-0473

And if you want to e-mail the asshat himself: Ajit.Pai@fcc.gov

Updated information at the bottom of this post about a new bill that could save the internet from ever getting messed with.

IF YOU VALUE YOUR TIME AND FREEDOM ON THE INTERNET, CALL YOUR REPS NOW.

Dating back to the original SOPA, there have been many iterations of this and the popular rumor is that Ajit Pai is going to try to sneak the next vote under everyone's noses the day before Thanksgiving. People are worried with the vote being so close to two major US holidays (Thanksgiving/Black Friday**) that it will fall under everyone's radar and finally pass.

I haven't followed it very much since where I live, our governor/senators are perfectly happy with changing the rules and have made it clear they have no intention of changing their minds. However, I have heard theories from people on both sides of the spectrum to the far extremes and it seems (please correct me if I'm wrong) this is how it could go:

1. The vote passes and ISPs are allowed to throttle speeds to whatever sites they want while completely blocking other sites for their users unless they pay additional fees. It's been speculated that Comcast has their eyes on Youtube and Google while Time Warner is looking at Bing, Yahoo, MSN, and the major sports sites. It's also been said that if one ISP gains control over Youtube, they could easily limit how many videos you're allowed to watch for free (under your current plan) per day and if you want to watch additional videos, you have to pay extra. Essentially if the vote passes, everyone would be at the mercy of their ISP and even startup companies who want to make a new website would have to pay fees just to get Comcast/Time Warner/(popular ISP) to allow their customers access to their site. Oh, and say goodbye to free porn.

2. The vote passes and ISPs work together to create a much faster internet service to everyone worldwide. As it stands (this is the part I hadn't heard before), cable companies aren't able to provide better Internet (ie. fiber optic) because of patents on top of corporate rivalries for more money. If the vote passes, ISPs would no longer need to charge for competitive rates because everything would be open to everyone, so the consumer would get faster speeds for much lower rates. There have also been speculations about opening the internet will effectively squash all illegal activities happening in the dark/deep web because they would no longer be able to hide behind proxies and VPNs.

Now, I understand point #2 doesn't make much sense (at least not to me), but I haven't heard that many arguments for the vote to pass, so the information there is rather limited. I guess it all boils down to whether or not you trust billion dollar corporations to have your best interests at heart and whether or not they will actually try to work together to provide a better internet for the end-users. Personally, I've been using Comcast's Xfinity for about five years now, and while I absolutely love the speeds, I cannot stand trying to contact their customer support. Not only is it almost impossible to understand the vast majority of the people on the other line, it adds a little more salt to the wound that they make them answer with: "Hello, this is Jason Smith..." or "Hello, this is Jennifer Connel..." in the thickest East-Indian accent you've ever heard.

Thoughts?


**I understand Black Friday isn't an actual holiday, but given how many people completely skip Thanksgiving to sit outside Best Buy and Target for 20+ hours just to spend $300 less on a TV is insane.

A new bill has been introduced which will prevent the FCC from ever messing with the rules of the internet (at least until their lawyers find some shitty loophole and they exploit it to turn their millions into billions, but until then...):

H.R.4585 - To prohibit the Federal Communications Commission from relying on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the matter of restoring internet freedom to adopt, amend, revoke, or otherwise modify any rule of the Commission.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/4585

ENERGY AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE (if your rep is on the committee, call them immediately)

2125 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
(202) 225-2927 (main)
(202) 226-4972 (press)

The Democrat E&CC: (same thing as above)

2322A Rayburn House Office Building,
Washington, DC 20515
Main Office: (202) 225-3641
Press Office: (202) 225-5735

 

[UglyCasanova]

I hate Comcast and I’m for net neutrality

 

[snoopy7548]

Ajit Pai is a slimy shit-eating scumbag.

^^ That's me being nice.

 

[shortylickens]

Anything promoted or encouraged by big corporations is never in our best interest. Also, as time goes on it seems the FCC is less concerned with protecting American freedoms.

And I'm a cynic so I dont really like anything.

 

[bshole]

Anything promoted or encouraged by big corporations is never in our best interest. Also, as time goes on it seems the FCC is less concerned with protecting American freedoms.

And I'm a cynic so I dont really like anything.

Don't be blaming this on the FCC. It is the scumbag Republicans and their fucktard in charge. Trump is packing a lifetime of damage to the middle and working classes over the course of months. It is a breathtaking achievement. He ran on a campaign of draining the swamp and his shit eating constituents ate it up. When he does the exact opposite, his shit eating constituents continue to lap it up. It is frankly baffling. This is by far the worst year in American politics in my lifetime. The frankly terrifying part of it is the utter lack of backlash. It portends horribly for our future.

 

[bradly1101]

Every eight years, things being undone, redone. It's no wonder the high anxiety. It'll help profitability, and is governed by bribery, er I mean lobbying, so likely it will go through. Money talks seemingly louder than any other consideration. #2 is unreasonably optimistic.

 

[Jhhnn]

Don't be blaming this on the FCC. It is the scumbag Republicans and their fucktard in charge. Trump is packing a lifetime of damage to the middle and working classes over the course of months. It is a breathtaking achievement. He ran on a campaign of draining the swamp and his shit eating constituents ate it up. When he does the exact opposite, his shit eating constituents continue to lap it up. It is frankly baffling. This is by far the worst year in American politics in my lifetime. The frankly terrifying part of it is the utter lack of backlash. It portends horribly for our future.

More than anything, Trumpsters hate to admit to having ever been wrong about anything, even to themselves. It's the dark & self destructive side of steadfastness & blind loyalty. They'll tolerate being screwed if they don't have to admit that they're being screwed.

 

[brycejones]

Ajit Pai is a slimy shit-eating scumbag.

^^ That's me being nice.

This so much this

 

[shortylickens]

More than anything, Trumpsters hate to admit to having ever been wrong about anything, even to themselves. It's the dark & self destructive side of steadfastness & blind loyalty. They'll tolerate being screwed if they don't have to admit that they're being screwed.

I wonder if the same part of the brain says its ok to blame victims of sexual harassment......

 

[Jhhnn]

I wonder if the same part of the brain says its ok to blame victims of sexual harassment......

Dunno. It's def the same part that loves liberal tears... They'll take a beating if they believe that their "enemies" are taking a bigger one.

 

[Stg-Flame]

Before this devolves further into a political shit-slinging fest, let it be known that Hillary lobbied for SOPA support long before Trump moved Pai into his seat. Both constituents wanted this to happen because it would mean more money for them in the long run. Both Trump and Clinton are horrible people who are unfit to run a country.

Now, back to net neutrality.

 

[Sonikku]

Net neutrality is as good as dead. We got lucky with Obama's FCC picks that very narrowly pushed back against corporate special interests by the slimmest of vote margins. Now that the GoP is ruling the roost there will be no stopping them. They never had the vote of the people that know better and the people that don't know any better will continue to vote for the politicians that make these FCC picks no matter what. So the GoP basically has nothing to lose by shafting the American people for the telecoms.

 

[bshole]

Dunno. It's def the same part that loves liberal tears... They'll take a beating if they believe that their "enemies" are taking a bigger one.

Kind of Count of Monte Cristoish....

“Do you not see?” returned the count, “that this human creature who is
about to die is furious that his fellow-sufferer does not perish with
him? and, were he able, he would rather tear him to pieces with his
teeth and nails than let him enjoy the life he himself is about to be
deprived of.
:
“Look, look,” cried the count, seizing the young men’s hands; “look, for
on my soul it is curious. Here is a man who had resigned himself to his
fate, who was going to the scaffold to die—like a coward, it is true,
but he was about to die without resistance. Do you know what gave him strength? do you know what consoled him? It was, that another partook of his punishment—that another partook of his anguish—that another was to die before...

 

[cytg111]

mindboggling stupid why people will accept a major reduction in freedom cause big corp needs more money. I am thinking sabotage is in order. I mean like VPNs and encryption all over winkwink... Sure they may throttle me to lowest speed but at least I cut them off from sniffing my data and using it to ram ads up my arse or sell it to russia to sway an election. When they ban encryption its time crowdfund sattelite or wire your own internet 3.0

 

[ch33zw1z]

it will not end well for the consumers.

 

[Puffnstuff]

it will not end well for the consumers.

No it will not. Internet access should not be subject to ISP's and each user should be free to use the available bandwidth they pay for to access whatever they desire. I'd join a class action lawsuit if I'm paying to access something that the provider is trying to unfairly restrict.

 

[ch33zw1z]

i agree.

just not gonna go all in with the do whatever they want part. Creepers keep it real on the interwebz

 

[trenchfoot]

Hard part about Trump and the Repubs in Congress handing their jobs over to the Corporations so their lawyers can write legislation from the comfort of their board rooms is that many of their constituents have already completely tuned out these kinds of shenanigans that their Repub legislators are pulling off with the thought in mind that all they are responsible for is to keep voting their congressional crooks back in office. What happens after that is none of their concern unless of course they get instructions from GOP Central via FOX to scream bloody murder about Crooked Hillary and that Kenyan Commie Muslim that wants to somehow steal the presidency from their most precious fake president.

 

[Sunburn74]

No it will not. Internet access should not be subject to ISP's and each user should be free to use the available bandwidth they pay for to access whatever they desire. I'd join a class action lawsuit if I'm paying to access something that the provider is trying to unfairly restrict.

Good luck with that given arbitration rules these days.
I'm not sure what cards exactly the general public holds on this issue.

 

[Puffnstuff]

Good luck with that given arbitration rules these days.
I'm not sure what cards exactly the general public holds on this issue.

It's called the user agreement which is a binding contract.

 

[kage69]

I consider Ajit Pai to be every bit as corrupt and incompetent as Betsy DeVos and Scott Pruitt, and represents a similar contradictory threat to the organization he was given to lead. He is another physical manifestation of the republican contempt for consumers, science, and observable facts.

Asshole needs to get dropped like an ant riddled Twinkie - Just like Dump.

 

[Commodus]

The one consolation is that ISPs likely won't be too brazen in violating net neutrality when the Pai-era FCC inevitably upturns the rules. They know the party's over the moment the Dems regain some power, so there's not much point in living out their wildest anti-competitive fantasies when they'll be forced to change back later.

 

[Sonikku]

The one consolation is that ISPs likely won't be too brazen in violating net neutrality when the Pai-era FCC inevitably upturns the rules. They know the party's over the moment the Dems regain some power, so there's not much point in living out their wildest anti-competitive fantasies when they'll be forced to change back later.

I disagree with this. The mentality of big business has largely been to make as much money when you can for as long as you can. They will exploit and pillage the very instant the law allows them to do so and will not stop until the very instant in which the law tells them to stop. It is for the same reason the Tobacco industry spread confusion and fought awareness of what their product was doing for as long as possible. Make maximum profit for as long as possible until the gravy train ends. If it ends.

And besides... The party is over the moment Dems retake power? I would not be so certain. While Repubs have been 100% about screwing over the consumer, the Dems have still been fairly 50/50. We made some inroads under Obama for example, but Hillary did not care much for net neutrality. Throw in enough lobbying and I think we have a very plausible case for this being the way it will be for good.

 

[dank69]

I think the whole country deserves a nice GOP-led cornholing.

 

[Jhhnn]

I disagree with this. The mentality of big business has largely been to make as much money when you can for as long as you can. They will exploit and pillage the very instant the law allows them to do so and will not stop until the very instant in which the law tells them to stop. It is for the same reason the Tobacco industry spread confusion and fought awareness of what their product was doing for as long as possible. Make maximum profit for as long as possible until the gravy train ends. If it ends.

No argument about that.

And besides... The party is over the moment Dems retake power? I would not be so certain. While Repubs have been 100% about screwing over the consumer, the Dems have still been fairly 50/50. We made some inroads under Obama for example, but Hillary did not care much for net neutrality. Throw in enough lobbying and I think we have a very plausible case for this being the way it will be for good.

Don't let the Hillary hate cloud your judgement-

Clinton’s technology plan includes several initiatives designed to “deliver high-speed broadband to all Americans,” and it promises to defend network neutrality rules that prevent ISPs from discriminating against online services. There are questions about how Clinton would implement the plan and whether it's aggressive enough to achieve 100 percent broadband deployment, and her campaign has declined to provide more specifics. But the mere fact that Clinton has outlined some clear broadband goals sets the Democratic nominee apart from the other candidates.

Separately, Clinton pledged to defend the FCC’s net neutrality rules in court and continue to enforce them. She also supports the FCC's related decision under Wheeler to reclassify ISPs as common carriers under Title II of the Communications Act; Title II, while controversial, is the legal mechanism used to enforce the net neutrality rules.

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy...-trump-on-broadband-she-has-a-plan-he-doesnt/