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Friday, March 29, 2024
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President Obama speaks out in support of net neutrality

Presidential influence, however, is limited

Months after the Federal Communications Commission revealed its proposal that would limit Internet equality, and almost a year after appointing a former lobbyist for cable companies as FCC Chair, President Obama is finally taking a stand in support of net neutrality.

A critical principle behind the Internet as we know it, net neutrality allows every form of information and application to be supported equally by an information network – that equality is now endangered.

The Internet, as it stands now, is “neutral,” in the sense that any website, whether it’s run by a corporation or an individual, has access to the same content delivery speeds managed by broadband companies.

Back in April, the FCC proposed that Internet providers could offer “fast lanes,” which would allow content to be delivered at faster speeds, for the companies that could afford to pay.

Essentially, the Internet would no longer be equal and free – instead, it would become yet another domain in which money equals power.

The reaction to this proposal was swift and severe, with Internet users directing their criticism at the FCC with such fury that their outpouring of comments crashed the FCC’s website.

Democrats were equally protective of net neutrality, fighting the bill and contributing to its failure in the House of Representatives.

And yet, Obama stayed quiet.

It would not be surprising if the president’s reticence resulted from what must have been regret over his choice of FCC Chair Tom Wheeler, whom Obama appointed in November of last year.

Wheeler, whose driveway was blockaded by Internet activists on Monday morning, worked as a lobbyist prior to his appointment.

In the 1980s, Wheeler lobbied Congress to deregulate the cable industry and from 1992 to 2004, he worked as head of the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association, in which he oversaw campaigns to fight FCC regulations of the wireless industry.

Obama’s selection of Wheeler, who clearly supports deregulation of the wireless and cable industries, to head the agency that serves as the regulators of that same industry was questionable from the very beginning.

Now that choice has clearly backfired

So as Obama speaks up at last, his speech is overshadowed by his actions.

Nonetheless, it is reassuring to hear that the country’s leader supports Internet freedom, and that his opinion aligns with the public on such a critical issue.

In his statement on Monday, Obama reasserted his commitment to net neutrality, arguing against the blocking of websites and gatekeeping by Internet providers.

He asked the FCC “to recognize that for most Americans, the Internet has become an essential part of everyday communication and everyday life.”

Obama’s statement – his first official declaration of support – is great to hear. It’s aggressive, strongly worded and supportive of the public opinion. The president’s willingness to listen to the public and make his stance unequivocally clear is commendable.

But that’s all it is: a statement.

And unfortunately, expressing his opinion is all Obama can do in this case.

The FCC is an independent agency, and when Obama picked Wheeler to be its leader last year, he put the power his hands. Whatever Obama says now is diminished by his earlier choices.

Because in this case, Obama’s influence is guaranteed no special consideration – the FCC could dismiss the president’s comments as easily as it ignored the millions of complaints from Internet-users last year.

email: editorial@ubspectrum.com

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