WASHINGTON, D.C. – Controversy at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today as commissioners take a big vote to decide how your Internet provider operates.
Commissioners are expected to roll back Obama-era regulations that prohibit providers from slowing down certain websites or apps to allow others to work faster.
For instance, under those new regulations an Internet company could open a bigger broadband spigot for someone using say Netflix since it may require more bandwidth.
Under the Obama administration, the FCC worked for years to figure out how to ensure that the Internet serves everyone equally, with all traffic over the Web getting equal treatment so that no business or website is able to move faster over the net than any others.
At the heart of the issue: should the FCC regulate the Internet or should the government stay out of it and let the free market regulate it?
Now that Republicans control the FCC, it looks like the latter position will win.
Internet providers argue users won’t notice any changes, but critics fear their providers will be able to see and control what they do online.
Protests have broken out online and more are expected today in Washington.
Critics are settling in for a long fight.
