Net Neutrality

FCC Clears Path For New Wave Of Media Consolidation

November 17, 2017 Staff, freepress.net Educate! FCC, Internet, Media, Net Neutrality

By Staff of Freepress - WASHINGTON — On Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission voted along party lines to erase several longstanding media-ownership limits that prevented one broadcast company from controlling too much media in a single market. The agency rolled back a local television-ownership rule that barred a broadcaster from owning multiple stations in smaller local markets and weakened the standards against owning more than one top-rated station in the same market. The FCC also gave its blessing to so-called joint sales agreements, or JSAs, which allow a single company to run the news operations of multiple stations in a single market that would otherwise compete against each other. The vote also overturned the newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership rules, which prevented a single company from owning a daily newspaper, TV and radio stations in the same market. Today’s moves clear the way for the right-wing Sinclair Broadcast Group’s proposed $3.9 billion merger with Tribune Media, a deal government agencies including the FCC are now reviewing. Should regulators approve the merger, the resulting broadcast giant would control more than 233 local-TV stations reaching 72 percent of the country’s population, far in excess of national limits set by Congress on broadcast-TV ownership.

Founder Of Internet On Future Of Web: Nasty Storms Are Brewing

November 17, 2017 Tim Berners-Lee, theguardian.com Educate! FCC, Internet, Net Neutrality

By Tim Berners-Lee for The Guardian - Sir Tim Berners-Lee’s optimism about the future of the web is starting to wane in the face of a “nasty storm” of issues including the rollback of net neutrality protections, the proliferation of fake news, propaganda and the web’s increasing polarisation. The inventor of the world wide web always maintained his creation was a reflection of humanity – the good, the bad and the ugly. But Berners-Lee’s vision for an “open platform that allows anyone to share information, access opportunities and collaborate across geographical boundaries” has been challenged by increasingly powerful digital gatekeepers whose algorithms can be weaponised by master manipulators. “I’m still an optimist, but an optimist standing at the top of the hill with a nasty storm blowing in my face, hanging on to a fence,” said the British computer scientist. “We have to grit our teeth and hang on to the fence and not take it for granted that the web will lead us to wonderful things,” he said. The spread of misinformation and propaganda online has exploded partly because of the way the advertising systems of large digital platforms such as Google or Facebook have been designed to hold people’s attention. “People are being distorted by very finely trained AIs that figure out how to distract them,” said Berners-Lee. In some cases, these platforms offer users who create content a cut of advertising revenue. The financial incentive drove Macedonian teenagers with “no political skin in the game” to generate political clickbait fake news that was distributed on Facebook and funded by revenue from Google’s automated advertising engine AdSense.

FCC Plans December Vote To Kill Net Neutrality Rules

November 17, 2017 Todd Shields, bloomberg.com Educate! FCC, Internet, Net Neutrality

By Todd Shields for Bloomberg - The U.S. Federal Communications Commission next month is planning a vote to kill Obama-era rules demanding fair treatment of web traffic and may decide to vacate the regulations altogether, according to people familiar with the plans. The move would reignite a years-long debate that has seen Republicans and broadband providers seeking to eliminate the rules, while Democrats and technology companies support them. The regulations passed in 2015 bar broadband providers such as AT&T Inc. and Comcast Corp. from interfering with web traffic sent by Google, Facebook Inc.and others. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, chosen by President Donald Trump, in April proposed gutting the rules and asked for public reaction. The agency has taken in more than 22 million comments on the matter. Pai plans to seek a vote in December, said two people who asked not to be identified because the matter hasn’t been made public. As the head of a Republican majority, he is likely to win a vote on whatever he proposes. One of the people said Pai may call for vacating the rules except for portions that mandate internet service providers inform customers about their practices -- one of the more severe options that would please broadband providers. They argue the FCC’s rules aren’t needed and discourage investment, in part because they subject companies to complex and unpredictable regulations. Democrats and technology companies say the rules are needed to make sure telecommunications providers don’t favor business partners or harm rivals.

FCC’s DDoS Claims Will Be Investigated By Government

October 26, 2017 Jon Brodkin, www.arstechnica.com Educate! FCC, Internet, Investigation, Net Neutrality

By Jon Brodkin for ARS Technica - The FCC's public comment website suffered an outage on May 8, just as the commission was receiving an influx of pro-net neutrality comments spurred by comedian John Oliver's HBO segment on the topic. The FCC attributed the downtime solely to "multiple" DDoS attacks and said the attacks were "deliberate attempts by external actors to bombard the FCC's comment system with a high amount of traffic to our commercial cloud host." However, the FCC has repeatedly thwarted efforts to obtain more details on the attacks and the commission's response to them. Net neutrality activist group Fight for the Future released a petition asking if the FCC "invent[ed] a fake DDoS attack to cover up the fact that they lost comments from net neutrality supporters." Schatz and Pallone asked the GAO to find out what evidence the FCC used to determine that a cyberattack took place and what documentation the FCC developed during its investigation. The Democratic lawmakers also want the GAO to examine whether the FCC is prepared to prevent future attacks. The GAO decision to investigate was reported by Politico last week. When contacted by Ars, a GAO spokesperson did not say exactly what topics the investigation will cover. The investigation also won't start for another few months, so the answer probably won't come until after the FCC makes a final decision on rescinding net neutrality rules.

Save Net Neutrality: Shut The FCC Down

October 4, 2017 Staff, www.popularresistance.org Resist! FCC, Internet Freedom, Net Neutrality

By Popular Resistance. We just learned that the FCC will not vote on taking net neutrality away in October, which means it will likely be on the agenda in November or December. This is the time of year when folks in Washington, DC do their dirty work because they think everyone is full of turkey or busy consuming for the holidays. We can't let them get away with this! We need to have a strong presence at the FCC on the day they vote to deter them from ending net neutrality. Maybe we can even shut the FCC down (if enough people are willing to defend the Internet). We are asking you to sign up on the form below if you are willing to come to DC to join us in an action at the FCC.

For The Good Of All, Congress Must Ensure Net Neutrality

October 4, 2017 Jimmy Lee, www.chicagobusiness.com Resist! Congress, FCC, Internet, Net Neutrality

By Jimmy Lee for Crains Chicago Business - In less than a generation, the internet has grown from a curiosity—"something cool you gotta see"—to a core requirement of modern life—"something critical you gotta have." Education, jobs, social connection, entertainment, culture and politics have all moved almost entirely online. Most of the big national employers do not take paper job applications anymore and even the most basic rights like social protest and citizen organizing have gone digital. Black Lives Matters is a movement, but there's no denying it's also a hashtag. As an investor in and adviser to socially-minded startups—and as a parent of two young children—I spend a lot of time grappling with the question of how we can build a better world for the next generation. As the digital revolution remakes almost every aspect of our lives, it's more clear than ever that any forward-looking agenda must focus on expanding digital access and participation. We cannot build a more equal America, or a future with greater opportunity and economic mobility, if large numbers of Americans are stuck on the wrong side of a growing digital divide. The components of such an agenda are relatively straightforward and well understood. We must encourage the broadest possible effort to build new networks and wire unserved communities and give every American an affordable pathway to high-speed internet access.

The Future Of The Internet Is Up For Grabs — Theoretically

October 4, 2017 Ryan Barwick, www.publicintegrity.org Resist! FCC, Internet, Net Neutrality

By Ryan Barwick for The Center for Public Integrity - The Trump administration is weighing one of the most significant rulings on how the internet will operate in the future — broadly affecting both the U.S. economy and how Americans get crucial information — but the decision is already a foregone conclusion. Unlike three years ago, when Washington was abuzz over the Federal Communications Commission enshrining net neutrality into hard-set rules, this time around it’s crickets. And that has net-neutrality supporters worried. The FCC, led by Ajit Pai, whom President Donald Trump appointed this year, has proposed killing the net-neutrality rules the agency passed under the Obama administration in 2015. Those regulations prohibited internet providers such as Verizon Communications Inc. and Comcast Corp. from favoring certain online content, or charging firms like Netflix or Facebook Inc. to deliver their offerings at faster speeds. The rules, shepherded through by then-Chairman Tom Wheeler, treated the internet more like a public utility needed by everyone, like regular telephone service or power, which are regulated by the government. When Wheeler, a Democrat whom President Barack Obama appointed in 2013, proposed those rules, progressive consumer advocates were thrilled by the idea — but internet providers were livid.

Five Reasons To Fire FCC Chairman Pai

September 29, 2017 Timothy Karr, www.huffingtonpost.com Resist! FCC, Internet, Net Neutrality

By Timothy Karr for The Huffington Post - The Senate majority is charging forward with plans to vote to reconfirm Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai for another five years. Rehiring Pai to head the agency that oversees U.S. communications policies would be a boon for the phone and cable companies he eagerly serves. But it would hurt everyone else who needs this agency to put our communications rights before the profits of monopoly-minded media giants. Usually nominations to agencies like the FCC sail through without a dissenting vote. But based on the last five years he spent at the agency (and his past eight months as designated chairman), it’s clear Pai doesn’t deserve another term. That’s why Free Press Action Fund is urging the Senate to reject Trump’s nominee. And it’s why thousands of people are calling Capitol Hill before the vote — expected as soon as Monday — and asking their senators to fire Pai. And for good reason. Pai had barely taken his seat before making a hard turn even further to the far right. He often claims he bases FCC decisions on evidence — and then ignores any fact that conflicts with his entrenched ideology and prejudices. (And he’s tried to smear critics like Free Press as fringe groups when they dare to point out basic facts he’s deliberately omitting.)

It’s Time For Congress To Fire The FCC Chairman

September 28, 2017 Gigi Sohn, www.theverge.com Create! Congress, FCC, Internet, Net Neutrality

By Gigi Sohn for The Verge - FCC chairman Ajit Pai is genuinely one of the nicest people in Washington. He’s smart, personable, and the kind of guy you’d want to have a beer with. But nice guys don’t always make good policy (I’ve been bipartisan on this), and Pai’s record means real danger for American consumers and the internet itself. If you believe communications networks should be fast, fair, open, and affordable, you need ask your senator to vote against Pai’s reconfirmation. Now. The Senate vote on Pai is imminent. When it happens, it will be a stark referendum on the kind of communications networks and consumer protections we want to see in this country. Senators can choose a toothless FCC that will protect huge companies, allow them to further consolidate, charge higher prices with worsening service, and a create bigger disconnect between broadband haves and have-nots. Or, they can vote for what the FCC is supposed to do: protect consumers, promote competition, and ensure access for all Americans, including the most vulnerable. It shouldn’t be a hard decision, and what we’ve seen over the past eight months makes the stakes clear. Below are just a few of the Pai FCC’s most harmful actions, which should help make your decision to contact your senator clear, too.

‘Team Internet’ Mobilizing Thousands Of Activists Across The Country

September 27, 2017 Mark Stanley, www.demandprogress.org Organize! Activists, Congress, Internet, Net Neutrality

By Mark Stanley for Demand Progress - Across the country, Team Internet volunteers like Platt are meeting with lawmakers, turning up at rallies, attending mass calls and coordinating with other activists in ways they’ve never before been able to do. “There are so many crucial issues people are engaging in right now, from healthcare to advocating for racial justice. At the end of the day, folks know if their free speech is curtailed because we don’t have strong Net Neutrality protections, organizing on these issues will be extremely difficult,” said Demand Progress Director of Operations and Communications Mark Stanley. “We’re seeing an unprecedented number of activists take time out of their busy lives to meet with lawmakers and their staff on this issue. Net Neutrality is vital for our civil discourse, our democracy and organizing on issues that impact people’s daily lives, and people are willing to fight for it now more than ever,” said Stanley. “Wherever you go, you can feel the energy and enthusiasm for Net Neutrality. Students, doctors, software engineers, lawyers and more are volunteering their time because they want a free and open internet. They’re gathering at lawmakers’ offices, protesting outside of speeches by FCC Chairman Pai, taking part in conference calls to learn more about the connections between Net Neutrality and racial justice, and connecting online and off to plan their next steps,” said Free Press Field Director Mary Alice Crim.

“Fake” Net Neutrality Comments At Heart Of Lawsuit Filed Against FCC

September 20, 2017 Jon Brodkin, www.arstechnica.com Educate! FCC, Internet, Lawsuit, Net Neutrality

By Jon Brodkin for ARS Technica - Prechtel argued that the data he requested can be used to determine whether "any groups of comments submitted by particular e-mail addresses correlate with what other previous comment analyses suspect are fake comments" and "if any suspicious e-mail address URLs (lobbyists, PR firms, .gov addresses, non-US domain names, etc.) were allowed to submit bulk comments." Prechtel also argues that suspicious comment uploading patterns might shed light on the FCC comment system's downtime on May 8, an event the FCC has blamed on multiple distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. Democratic lawmakers have criticized the FCC for failing to provide information substantiating the DDoS claims and have called for an independent investigation. "I believe the API key log information I requested can help identify who was behind the alleged FCC cyberattack on May 7-8," Prechtel told Ars. But so far, his efforts to get that information have been met with silence, he said. "It has now been over three months since anyone at the FCC has reached out to me, and nearly two months since they have been legally required to respond to my request or request another extension to process it," he said. Prechtel is being represented by Loevy & Loevy, which also represented him in a previous FoIA lawsuit involving the Chicago Transit Authority.

#DescendOnDC To Protect The Internet

September 20, 2017 Eleanor Goldfield, www.popularresistance.org Resist! FCC, Free Speech, Internet Freedom, Net Neutrality

By Eleanor Goldfield for Protect Our Internet. As you know, the FCC is set on killing net neutrality. But Congress is key. They can stop the FCC and block the bigger threat: ISP-backed bills that would end net neutrality forever. So, Fight for the Future is organizing Internet users to meet with members of Congress—in DC, or locally—on September 26th & 27th. And they're helping to cover travel costs! Here's What To Do: Go to the action website and sign on & sign up. You can choose whether to come to DC or act locally (But we're really pushing for people to make it to DC!) Get the scoop on the specific actions via Public Knowledge's event page. 9/26: Rally & FCC Open Meeting Day - we want to really show up en force! 9/27: Hill Walk - Lobbying Day! (Training Included) Get ready for the days of action!

Washington DC Braces For Net Neutrality Protests Later This Month

September 19, 2017 Dominic Rushe, www.theguardian.com Resist! Net Neutrality, Protests, Washington DC

By Dominic Rushe for The Guardian - Net neutrality advocates are planning two days of protest in Washington DC this month as they fight off plans to defang regulations meant to protect an open internet. A coalition of activists, consumer groups and writers are calling on supporters to attend the next meeting of the Federal Communications Commission on 26 September in DC. The next day, the protest will move to Capitol Hill, where people will meet legislators to express their concerns about an FCC proposal to rewrite the rules governing the internet. The FCC has received 22 million comments on “Restoring Internet Freedom”, the regulator’s proposal to dismantle net neutrality rules put in place in 2015. Opponents argue the rule changes, proposed by the FCC’s Republican chairman Ajit Pai, will pave the way for a tiered internet where internet service providers (ISPs) will be free to pick and choose winners online by giving higher speeds to those they favor, or those willing or able to pay more. The regulator has yet to process the comments, and is reviewing its proposals before a vote expected later this year. The activist groups are encouraging internet users to meet their lawmakers and tell them how a free and open internet is vital to their lives and their livelihoods. Pai is a long term opponent of the current rules, which were brought in under the Obama administration.

Sept 26-27: The Internet Descends On Washington. DC

September 17, 2017 Fight for the Future, www.battleforthenet.com Resist! FCC Internet, Internet Freedom, Net Neutrality

By Fight For The Future for Battle for the Internet. The FCC is set on killing net neutrality. But Congress is key. They can stop the FCC and block the bigger threat: ISP-backed bills that would end net neutrality forever. We're organizing Internet users to meet with members of Congress—in DC, or locally—and we're helping to cover travel costs. Are you in? On September 26-27 Internet users from across the country will converge on Washington, DC to meet directly with their members of Congress, which is by far the most effective way to influence their positions and counter the power of telecom lobbyists and campaign contributions. First you can attend a training hosted by Public Knowledge who will share years of experience on how to be effective in these meetings. Participants will be paired with a guide to show you where to go on Capitol Hill to participate in meetings with key lawmakers. If you can't make it to DC, join us by getting involved locally.

The Internet Was Always A Common Carrier

September 9, 2017 Fenwick McKelvey, www.amo-oma.ca Educate! FCC, Internet, Net Neutrality

By Fenwick McKelvey for Algorithm Media Observatory - This summer, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) launched an initiative to revisit the previous administration’s “Fair and Open Internet Order,” which established an approach to regulating the Internet commonly called network neutrality. The current FCC hopes to “end the utility-style regulatory approach” of the past administration, which the FCC represents as an aberration in the Internet’s history of increasing freedom and openness, and replace it with a “light-touch regulatory framework.” If undertaken, this move will reclassify the Internet as an information service, rolling back the decade-long struggle that led to the Internet being considered a common carrier. The FCC claims this reclassification will serve as a course correction for Internet regulation, but their proposal is out of step with the Internet’s established history as a common carrier. Common carriage is an old idea with a long and tested regulatory tradition. Simply put, it makes a judgement about the importance of certain infrastructure for the public and sets regulatory conditions to ensure these special services work on behalf of the public good. Railways, telephone lines, and Internets have been vital to society and the economy and are thus common carriers.

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