Republican FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has sharply criticized the net neutrality rules, and since being appointed chairman by President Donald Trump in January, he's moved quickly to scrap the legal foundation of the order. | Getty FCC kicks off effort to roll back net neutrality rules

Scandal isn't slowing down one part of the Republican agenda: The Federal Communications Commission took the first formal step toward dismantling Obama-era net neutrality rules Thursday, kicking off what's likely to be a bitter and months-long lobbying battle over the future of internet regulation.

The commission voted along party lines to begin the process of rolling back the rules, which require internet service providers like Verizon and Comcast to treat all web traffic equally. The telecom industry has criticized the rules as burdensome and unnecessary regulations, but supporters among startups and online tech companies say they ensure ISPs don't abuse their position as internet gatekeepers to favor some websites over others. The net neutrality order, passed by the FCC's then-Democratic majority in 2015, represents one of the signature policy achievements of the Obama administration.


Republican FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has sharply criticized the net neutrality rules, and since being appointed chairman by President Donald Trump in January, he's moved quickly to scrap the legal foundation of the order. He argues that the FCC, in applying utility-style regulation to ISPs, was too heavy-handed and threatened the longstanding tradition of government keeping its hands off the internet.

"Today’s notice is the start of a new chapter in the public discussion about how we can best maintain a free and open internet while making sure that ISPs have strong incentives to bring next-generation networks and services to all Americans," Pai said at the commission meeting.

Net neutrality supporters argue that the rules provide important protections for consumers who may not have many options in buying internet service and also allow online companies to thrive, increasing consumer demand for broadband services.

Democratic Commissioner Mignon Clyburn spoke in fiery opposition to the proposal, calling it a “political rush job.” She challenged the assertion that the rules have hampered investment, and said she doesn’t believe the the rules prohibiting ISPs from blocking, throttling or paid prioritization will survive the proceeding.

"While the majority engages in flowery rhetoric, about light-touch regulation and so on, the endgame appears to be no-touch regulation and a wholescale destruction of the FCC’s public interest authority in the 21st century,” Clyburn said during the commission debate.

The Internet Association, whose members include online companies such as Google and Facebook that favor the existing net neutrality rules, took exception to today's action and said they remain opposed.

"ISPs should not be able to use their position as gatekeepers to prioritize their own content over others," association President & CEO Michael Beckerman said in a statement. "Internet companies stand with consumers, startups and other beneficiaries of the ecosystem in our fight to maintain a free and open internet."

Meanwhile, internet providers including Comcast cheered the decision to begin rolling back Title II regulations on ISPs. Comcast also pledged to support ”strong, legally enforceable net neutrality protections” in a blog post by David L. Cohen, senior executive vice president and chief diversity officer.

“Especially in the current heated political climate, we must come together, from across the aisle, both public and private sector, to find common ground that protects consumers on the core elements of net neutrality without unnecessary and harmful regulatory overreach,” Cohen said.

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.), in remarks today on the Senate floor, called for legislation to seal the net neutrality changes into law, which would make it harder for a subsequent administration to change them again.

The FCC's action Thursday doesn't repeal the rules yet but instead launches a lengthy proceeding that will pit ISPs and conservative groups, which back Pai's efforts, against left-leaning digital activists and leading tech companies that say the net neutrality rules are crucial to creating a level playing field online. Already, the debate has begun to echo the bitter fight over the issue two years ago, and the number of public comments filed in the proceeding has skyrocketed to 1.6 million at last count.

HBO host John Oliver, whose viral 2014 segment on net neutrality flooded the FCC's website with comments during the earlier debate, returned to the issue this month to skewer Pai's proposal. His show generated a new wave of comments. But after the FCC website appeared to sputter under the load, officials there blamed the malfunction on a bombardment of malicious traffic.

The fight quickly turned ugly, with racist messages aimed at Pai's Indian heritage in the online docket and accusations of spam bots filing a barrage of anti-net neutrality comments.

Pai’s proposal would eliminate the rules' legal foundation — which allows the FCC to impose utility-style regulation originally written for telephone companies — and jettison a provision giving the FCC broad authority to oversee ISP behavior. It also seeks public input on whether to modify or eliminate rules preventing ISPs from blocking or throttling web traffic, or negotiating paid deals with websites for so-called internet fast lanes.

Unlike his Democratic predecessor, Pai released the full text of his proposal ahead of the agency’s vote, giving an early jump-start to the fight as groups on both sides launched online campaigns.

Following Thursday's vote, the commission will seek more comment over the summer before putting together a final set of net neutrality rules, likely in the fall. Pai has said he wants to complete the rulemaking process this year.

--Ashley Gold and Steven Overly contributed to this report.