January 29, 2018
In December, the FCC voted to repeal Title II regulation of internet service providers, turning authority over to the top federal agency in charge of protecting consumers from shady business practices of all kinds, the Federal Trade Commission. The repeal strengthens consumer protections in a number of ways, all without the destructive, investment dampening baggage of Title II.
As the FCC makes way for a new sheriff, consumers can have confidence that the FTC has the technological expertise and manpower to ensure fairness and neutrality across the internet. With a two-decade track record of carrying out this responsibility, the FTC will enforce consistent rules for all players, including the most powerful online companies. The ruling also gives the top cop on the consumer beat clear authority to penalize any action that would undercut broadband providers vow not to block or throttle content, since such a violation would amount to deceptive market practices.
A new blog by Neil Chilson, the FTC’s Acting Chief Technologist, explains exactly how the FTC is able to protect consumers across such a wide swath of tech-heavy industries, including broadband. Their significant internal technological expertise, paired with extensive coordination with outside experts and government agencies allows the FTC to evaluate harm to consumers and competition in every industry under their jurisdiction. Read the full blog and learn more about why the FTC is uniquely qualified to protect your access to an open internet.