Remember Net Neutrality? The Trump administration gave it the kibosh, but like all good political edicts, those attempts at changing America’s business landscape have been…what is the term?…ah yes, rolled back.
Rolled back. Sounds like a game doesn’t it? But it is a serious concept for Big Tech, which saw the demise of net neutrality as a path to further wealth.
In case you’ve forgotten in all the kerfluffle of federal politics, net neutrality is the concept of an open internet where everyone is treated the same, regardless of device, application, or platform, mega-business or mom-and-pop store. All ISPs have to treat all customers the same. They cannot restrict access or slow down speed or lock content. In case you are interested, click here for a reasonable discussion of net neutrality and broadband discrimination.
Up until the Trump administration, the FCC enthusiastically supported net Neutrality. But in 2017 the FCC rolled back the Open Internet Order despite congressional efforts to stay the repeal. Several state attorneys general sued the FCC and other states passed executive orders banning state agencies from doing business with ISPs that don’t adhere to net neutrality principles.
Here we are. It’s 2024 and the Biden Administration is calling the shots. What’s happened? The FCC has restored net neutrality rules rescinded during the Trump administration, banning ISPs such as AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon from deliberately changing customer network speeds.
Are we all happy now? Nope. Net neutrality supporters worry that while large ISPs may not slow down or block competing services, they may exempt their own content from data limits. And, of course, net neutrality opponents, including many ISPs, continue to argue that government legislation of the internet is an unnecessary barrier to innovation and economic growth.
Will Congress do anything to finally and convincingly solve the problem of net neutrality? Doubtful. It is not high on the list of anybody’s agenda. So the roll backs and roller coaster that is net neutrality will likely continue, depending on who is in charge. We suggest you try taking dramamine.