The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) plans to reinstate net neutrality protections that were repealed during the Trump administration. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced a proposal to restore the rules, aiming to essentially return to the successful regulations adopted in 2015 under President Obama. The proposal seeks to reclassify broadband as an essential communications service and will undergo a process of rulemaking and public comments before final adoption. The FCC is expected to initiate a vote on reinstating these rules next month.
The FTC has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon, alleging that the company is an illegal monopoly that stifles innovation, makes shopping worse, and drives up prices. The government claims that Amazon uses illegal actions to strong-arm marketplace sellers, making it difficult for them to charge lower prices elsewhere. The lawsuit also accuses Amazon of coercing merchants to pay for add-on services and taking a significant cut of their revenue.
Why do we care?
Providers are involved in negotiating broadband selection, so you do care about the regulations on those connections. While legal challenges may cause delays, the FCC’s push to restore net neutrality rules is seen as a step towards an open and equitable internet. We’ll see how this plays out.
Just yesterday, I cited how I was looking to the FTC to keep competition healthy. Here we go.