Net Neutrality Supporters Visit FCC Boss Ajit Pai's Neighbors Net neutrality activists last weekend visited the Arlington, Virginia neighbors of FCC boss Ajit Pai, taking some time to educate them about the agency's looming assault on net neutrality (and other consumer protections). Last Sunday, protesters from the Protect Our Internet campaign went house to house, meeting and greeting Pai's neighbors to talk about net neutrality -- or hanging door hangers on their front doors informing them about what Pai's been up to.

Such tactics aren't uncommon; you may remember how some activists protested in former FCC boss Tom Wheeler's driveway when they were trying to get him to pass tougher net neutrality rules (he did). A blog post by the activists claim that they generally saw "friendly support from the neighbors they spoke to." "Pai’s proposal would allow a handful of massive telecoms to control access to the Internet without being content neutral," notes the group. "These widely unpopular corporations could give special privileges to other business interests and pick winners and losers rather than continue to have equal access and services for all." "Comcast, which owns NBC/MSNBC could get special privilege, as could Verizon’s Huff Post," said the group. "Start-up businesses and entrepreneurs would have a difficult time creating new businesses and challenging existing big business interests. Big media corporations, already concentrated with a handful of owners would dominate and diminish independent, non-profit and social media. The innovation and vitality of the Internet would be undermined." The FCC is expected to vote 2-1 along partisan lines on an NPRM that would begin the process of rolling back the rules on May 18. From there, a longer public comment period would be conducted ahead of a final vote later this year. After that, Pai needs to be able to prove to a court that the market has changed dramatically enough since last year's FCC court victory to warrant such a severe retreat (it hasn't). ISPs (and Pai) are well aware of that, which is why most ISPs (and the ISPs (and Pai) are well aware of that, which is why most ISPs (and the politicians that love them ) have been pushing hard recently for a new net neutrality law; a law their lobbyists and lawyers will likely fill with so many loopholes as to make any such legislation worse than no rules at all.







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Most recommended from 35 comments

wkm001

join:2009-12-14 11 recommendations wkm001 Member A new way to think about it? The internet doesn't necessarily need to be regulated. But the companies that provide it to us as a service under government allowed monopolies certainly do.

Packeteers

Premium Member

join:2005-06-18

Forest Hills, NY 8 recommendations Packeteers Premium Member distasteful behavior i think it's horrible when protesters think a persons home is fair game on a work matter,



not a personal one (like a murder suspect) - they should only protest at pai's work place.

Barron

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Premium Member

join:2001-11-25

Litchfield Park, AZ 5 recommendations Barron Premium Member Let's NIMBY Him Can we convince his neighbors that he's a threat to the children's safety? Can we convince his neighbors that he's a threat to the children's safety?

Anon91801

@2601:8b.x 5 recommendations Anon91801 Anon LOL About as welcome as door to door religious beggars LOL About as welcome as door to door religious beggars. I'd of sent them packing with an epithet.