META: A Stunning, and Extremely Disconcerting, Turnaround in FCC’s Net Neutrality Plans

prepare to be annoyedIn an absolutely stunning turnaround, the FCC today will propose a new set of net neutrality rules that completely eviscerate the principle of net neutrality, and threaten to “brutalize the Internet” as we know it. You can read more on the proposal, and the importance of net neutrality, here and here.

For those who haven’t been following, net neutrality is the idea that Internet service providers (ISPs – Comcast, Verizon, Time Warner, etc.) have to treat all traffic and all content equally. They can’t favor one site/service (ESPN and Netflix) over another (CBS and YouTube) in terms of access or speed. The idea is that consumers pay for access to the Internet, and they should be able to see whatever they want on the Internet without the ISP discriminating among those choices.

Earlier this year, a court case threw a wrench in net neutrality, and required the FCC to come up with a new rule to address the issue. My fear at the time was that ISPs would pounce on this uncertain period and start charging content-providers an extra fee to connect consumers to their site/service. A lot of folks thought those fears were unfounded. Turns out, not only were they not unfounded, the FCC is considering explicitly legitimizing the practice.

Seeing the swift and strong reaction of folks who are in favor of an open Internet (which, like, should be every single person in the world except service providers and gigantic websites/services), the FCC released a statement to try and calm fears:

There are reports that the FCC is gutting the Open Internet rule. They are flat out wrong. Tomorrow we will circulate to the Commission a new Open Internet proposal that will restore the concepts of net neutrality consistent with the court’s ruling in January. There is no ‘turnaround in policy.’ The same rules will apply to all Internet content. As with the original Open Internet rules, and consistent with the court’s decision, behavior that harms consumers or competition will not be permitted.

That’s all well and good, but that’s a separate issue. No one fears that the FCC would actually allow ISPs to flat-out block certain content discriminately. The fear is that, if you allow ISPs to negotiate agreements that favor some traffic over others, the end result is discrimination against sites/services that can’t afford the price of that artificial poker.

Imagine that ISPs are the highway, and consumers are seeking to drive on that highway. You pay the ISP to get on the highway, and you can exit at whatever business you’d like. Now, ISPs want the right to charge those business for allowing you, the consumer, to exit at their stop. McDonald’s will easily (if begrudgingly) be able to pay that fee, and they will keep their customers exiting for their McGriddles. Mom ‘n Pop’s Bakery can’t afford the fee. Under these proposed rules, the ISP highway couldn’t stop you from exiting at Mom ‘n Pop’s, but they could install a traffic light at the exit that allows only one car through every hour. If that happened, how often would you actually go to Mom ‘n Pop’s?

In the Internet ecosystem, if things played out that way, the impact for consumers (and, obviously, sites like this one) could be devastating. For one thing, the content providers that agree to pay the fee to various ISPs so that their sites stay in the “fast lane” will inevitably pass those fees on to consumers. For another thing, content providers that cannot afford to pay such fees could suffer from reduced site effectiveness, reduced traffic, reduced profitability, etc. If and when that happens, new sites and services stop popping up. You know what’s good for consumers? Competition. You know what would suck? If we operated in a world where Twitter was squashed in the womb because it couldn’t afford to get going in a way that actually drew interest. There will be no next Netflix or next Facebook (and, indeed, big boys like that will lose some of their incentive to keep improving and innovating).

Allowing ISPs to favor some content over others – and, believe me, if they’re permitted to do it, they will, because money – will benefit two groups, and only two groups: ISPs who can then making money coming (you paying for service) and going (companies paying for access to you), and large sites/services that can afford to pay for the fast lane (and thus bleed out their competition). Among the groups that are hurt: consumers (who will face more fees, less choice, and less innovative services), small sites/services that can’t afford to pay (yo), and yet-unstarted sites and services that will find the barrier to entry now too steep to even try and climb (i.e., the next Netflix or Twitter or whatever).

The problem? The benefited groups are large and have significant lobbying power. The harmed groups are small (or don’t exist yet), and have no meaningful lobbying power.

If you are a user of the Internet – that’s not just websites, but it’s apps and services, too – you should care about this issue. And, from where I sit, you should want strong net neutrality.

UPDATE: A little from Boing Boing, and how to contact someone relevant to whom you can register a complaint:

written by

Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

more cubs news

Justin Steele Injury Update: New Classification, MRI Tomorrow, IL Stint Coming? Steele and Counsell Speak

A significant update on Justin Steele came from Craig Counsell tonight after the Cubs extra innings loss in Texas. In short: Yes, a stint on the Injured List is likely for Justin Steele. But we still don't know how severe...

Enhanced Box Score: Rangers 4, Cubs 3 – March 28, 2024

It took exactly one day for the Cubs' ace to sustain what may be a significant injury, for their closer to blow a save, for the umpires to significantly impact the outcome of a critical play (this time in the...

OMG: Michael Busch Scored the 9th Inning, GO-AHEAD Run, Because He Just Never Stopped Running

That was absolutely incredible. To all the little kids out there, when your coach tells you to never stop running, this is why. Rookie Cubs 1B Michael Busch (the guy the Cubs got from the Dodgers this offseason to be...

Pre-Gamin’: Cubs at Rangers – Lineups, Pitching Matchup, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

*SHORT COURTS: It's Time To Bring The Home Court, Home! Looking for a unique way to celebrate your athlete or team before you peruse the FIRST CHICAGO CUBS LINEUP of the Year? Don't miss out! For just one more week...

The Cubs Are Among the Most Returning-y Teams

I am still mostly incapacitated at the moment, so apologies for the short shrift on such an otherwise blessed day. In between pokes and prods, I wanted to share a chart I saw that was pretty interesting, even if unsurprising:...

Maybe the Cubs Are the Favorites in the NL Central, After All?

ESPN was the first to throw some love the Cubs way this week, with an overwhelming majority of their writers, analysts, and editors picking the Chicago Cubs to win the NL Central in 2024. But the love doesn't end there....

The Season Begins, Love for Morel, Counsell’s Value, and Other Cubs Bullets

You know where you want to spend your Opening Day morning? The hospital! Suffice to say, this is not how I imagined getting HYPED for the Cubs' opener. I guess I'll just have to think about all the possible lineup...

Cubs vs Rangers: The First Series of the Year!

Cubs vs Rangers — THE REGULAR SEASON IS HERE! Wake up and rejoice. Later tonight, the Cubs will begin their march toward October Baseball against the (reigning World Series champion) Texas Rangers in Arlington. Justin Steele is getting the nod...

The 2024 Chicago Cubs for Dummies

Boom. We made it. The offseason is over, and the Cubs regular season - and those elevated expectations - begins tomorrow. But in case you slept through the winter, I'm here to catch you up on everything you need to...

I’m Expecting More This Year, Cubs — It’s Time to Start Winning

There's no way around it: The Chicago Cubs did *not* have the offseason we hoped they might after making Craig Counsell the highest paid manager in MLB history. Not that they did poorly, mind you. Cody Bellinger, Shota Imanaga, and...

Latest News

Braves vs. Phillies Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

The Atlanta Braves start their season as road favorites (-125) in a matchup with the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday at 3:05 PM ET, live on BSSO from Citizens Bank Park.Spencer Strider will get the ball for Atlanta while Philadelphia will...

Washington State vs. Illinois Women’s Basketball: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

Two hot teams meet when the Washington State Cougars (21-14) host the Illinois Fighting Illini (17-15) on April 1, 2024. The Cougars will put their three-game win streak on the line against the Fighting Illini, who have won three straight.On...

Villanova vs. Penn State Women’s Basketball: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

The Villanova Wildcats (21-12) will try to extend a three-game winning streak when they host the Penn State Lady Lions (22-12) on April 1, 2024. The Lady Lions have also won three games in a row.In its previous game, Villanova...

Brewers vs. Mets Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

The Milwaukee Brewers open their season as -110 favorites in a road matchup with the New York Mets on Friday at 1:40 PM ET, live on SNY.Freddy Peralta gets the starting nod for Milwaukee while Jose Quintana is New York's...

Braves vs. Phillies Probable Starting Pitchers – March 29

The Philadelphia Phillies (0-0) host the Atlanta Braves (0-0) in an Opening Day contest at 3:05 PM ET on Friday.The Braves will call on Spencer Strider against the Phillies and Zack Wheeler.Braves vs. Phillies Pitcher Matchup and Game InfoWhen: Friday,...

Suns vs. Thunder Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder (50-22) are 2.5-point underdogs against Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns (43-30) Friday, March 29, 2024 at Paycom Center. The game starts at 8:00 PM ET on KSBI. The matchup's point total is...

Brewers vs. Mets Probable Starting Pitchers – March 29

The Milwaukee Brewers (0-0) and the New York Mets (0-0) face off on Friday at Citi Field for Opening Day. First pitch is at 1:40 PM ET.The Brewers will look to Freddy Peralta versus the Mets and Jose Quintana.Brewers vs....

Cavaliers vs. 76ers Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

The Philadelphia 76ers (39-34) are 8-point underdogs against the Cleveland Cavaliers (44-29) at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Friday, March 29, 2024. The game starts at 7:30 PM ET on NBCS. The matchup's point total is set at 212.5.Our computer predictions...

Heat vs. Trail Blazers Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

The Portland Trail Blazers (19-54) will attempt to end an eight-game losing streak when they visit the Miami Heat (39-33) on Friday, March 29, 2024 at FTX Arena as heavy, 14-point underdogs. The contest airs at 8:00 PM ET on...

Rockets vs. Jazz Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

The Utah Jazz (29-44) will try to end a seven-game losing streak when they host the Houston Rockets (37-35) on Friday, March 29, 2024 at Vivint Smart Home Arena as 7.5-point underdogs. The contest airs at 9:30 PM ET on...

more cubs news