What is the issue?
- Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of the US announced the ‘Restoring Internet Freedom Order’.
- This could potentially end the content neutral era of the internet.
What is Net neutrality?
- It is the concept in which all online content providers (all websites or apps) are treated equally by telecom operators.
- Notably, consumers get access to all websites equally and speed of access is not differentiated for any content.
- ISPs are mandated to not interfere with or block the content that a consumer accesses, views or posts online.
- This also specifically outlaws content specific offers/charges on consumers in order to ensure equality.
What is the current announcement?
- FCC rules issued in 2015 aimed at upholding neutrality neutrality.
- The current ruling undoes this and favours giving sweeping powers to ISPs over the content consumers can access.
- This ruling is almost certain be cleared in FCCs next open meeting.
- Reasons - FCC claims that the ruling is to remove what it calls “heavy-handed Internet regulations”.
- These regulations, it believes is holding back investment, innovation, and job creation in the sector.
- FCC also noted that it didn’t want to micromanage the Internet.
- Criticism – This allows ISPs could give preferential treatment to particular sites and apps, and to their own digital content.
- ISPs could also block access to sites or cap network speeds by segregating the Internet into fast and slow lanes.
- Charging consumers extra for better access to some sites and distorting fair trade is also a possibility.
- This would also lead to blocking of or slowing down of competitor’s content and unfavourable political opinions.
How can these distortions be addressed?
- FCC might no longer regulate content that ISPs provide.
- Hence, the job of protecting consumers from detrimental business practices will go to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
- Notably, FTC neither has any telecommunications expertise nor rule-making authority in this area.
Who benefits from the order?
- Big ISPs such as AT&T Inc, Comcast Corp and Verizon Communications Inc, stand to benefit due to these changes.
- They can now design schemes to charge consumers as well as content providers.
- Notably, in recent years, ISPs have tried offers such as discounts on their service in exchange for browsing history of users.
- Some ISPs are reported to have tried to drive users to their own apps by excluding them from mobile data usage limits.
- On the contrast, Alphabet Inc, Facebook Inc, Amazon and Netflix Inc were among the big firms that are currently opposed to the ruling.
Source: Indian Express
