- Aug 20, 2000
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This is horrifying. Putting text in this proposed bill that "prohibits blocking ... and to prohibit impairment or degradation of lawful Internet traffic" but then allow ISPs to create slow lanes and, if websites pay for such access, fast lanes is in fact explicitly allowing blocking and impairment of lawful Internet traffic. Have a competing site to one in your ISP-slash-media conglomerate that's getting a little too popular? Limit it to 200 KB/sec while your competing service (and claim it's costing you an arm and a leg) while your own service runs at full speed. Bye bye competitor.
You'd also slowly but steadily see to the end of Silicon Valley, with startups and full-size companies instead situating themselves in Canada or the EU where they have a chance in hell of competing with big established players.
From Ars Technica:
You'd also slowly but steadily see to the end of Silicon Valley, with startups and full-size companies instead situating themselves in Canada or the EU where they have a chance in hell of competing with big established players.
From Ars Technica:
A Republican lawmaker is proposing a net neutrality law that would ban blocking and throttling, but the bill would allow ISPs to create paid fast lanes and prohibit state governments from enacting their own net neutrality laws. The bill would also prohibit the FCC from imposing any type of common carrier regulations on broadband providers.
Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) announced the "Open Internet Preservation Act" in a video posted to Twitter.
The bill text is available here. It would amend the Communications Act "to prohibit blocking of lawful content, applications, services, and non-harmful devices, [and] to prohibit impairment or degradation of lawful Internet traffic."
Unlike the net neutrality rules repealed by Pai's FCC last week, the bill would not prohibit ISPs from charging websites or online services for prioritization.
Blackburn's bill would define broadband Internet access as an "information service," preventing the FCC from ever regulating home and mobile Internet providers as common carriers. This prohibition would prevent the reinstatement of numerous consumer protections besides the net neutrality rules.
State governments would also be limited in their ability to regulate, as Blackburn's bill would preempt states from imposing "any law, rule, regulation, duty, requirement, standard, or other provision" related to net neutrality.
Blackburn's bill would let the FCC enforce the no-blocking and no-throttling rules, but it would forbid the commission from adding any new requirements to the rules. The FCC would be required to adopt formal complaint procedures to address alleged violations.
...
Blackburn's embrace of no-blocking and no-throttling rules is a change from 2015 when she authored the "Internet Freedom Act," a failed proposal that would have wiped out net neutrality rules entirely.
Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) announced the "Open Internet Preservation Act" in a video posted to Twitter.
The bill text is available here. It would amend the Communications Act "to prohibit blocking of lawful content, applications, services, and non-harmful devices, [and] to prohibit impairment or degradation of lawful Internet traffic."
Unlike the net neutrality rules repealed by Pai's FCC last week, the bill would not prohibit ISPs from charging websites or online services for prioritization.
Blackburn's bill would define broadband Internet access as an "information service," preventing the FCC from ever regulating home and mobile Internet providers as common carriers. This prohibition would prevent the reinstatement of numerous consumer protections besides the net neutrality rules.
State governments would also be limited in their ability to regulate, as Blackburn's bill would preempt states from imposing "any law, rule, regulation, duty, requirement, standard, or other provision" related to net neutrality.
Blackburn's bill would let the FCC enforce the no-blocking and no-throttling rules, but it would forbid the commission from adding any new requirements to the rules. The FCC would be required to adopt formal complaint procedures to address alleged violations.
...
Blackburn's embrace of no-blocking and no-throttling rules is a change from 2015 when she authored the "Internet Freedom Act," a failed proposal that would have wiped out net neutrality rules entirely.
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