FCC Proposal Would Gut Open Internet

Statement of Michael Copps former FCC Commissioner & Common Cause Special Advisor

I’ve never heard such a bunch of spurious arguments, distorted history, and just plain rubbish as Chairman Pai and his big industry allies have put forth to sustain their totally untenable argument against an open internet. Today’s proposal, if approved, will cut the open internet off at the knees. The majority at the Commission has invited a few telecom giants to design and control our communications future and relegates consumers and innovators to passive recipients of what the big boys deign to provide us. This is exactly the opposite of how the internet was supposed to function, with citizens empowered to frequent the sites and services of their choice – not subject to corporate censorship or slow lanes. A horrid idea at any time, this proposal is particularly destructive now that so much of our democratic discourse plays out via the internet. The Trump Administration’s anything goes approach to its corporate benefactors will wreak havoc on citizens seeking truth, facts, diversity, and privacy.

We, The People did not ask for this fight, but We, the People have won before, and will again.