Friday, May 11, 2018

Net Neutrality Rules End June 11

The Federal Communications Commission's rules preventing Internet service providers from blocking or slowing legal traffic, or charging for faster delivery of some content, passed with much fanfare in 2015, will be history on June 11.

According to USAToday, that's two months later than expected but way too soon for supporters of the Obama-era measures, who are suing and pushing for Congressional measures to bring back the so-called net neutrality rules.

These are set to replaced by a set of lighter-touch regulations passed five months ago. The new rules, the Restoring Internet Freedom order approved by the FCC in December 2017, require ISPs to disclose any blocking, throttling or prioritization of their own content or from their partners. But they aren't prevented from doing so.

ISPs have said they won't block or throttle legal websites, though they've left open the potential for charging more for some data delivery.

The order will go into effect next month. Originally, it was expected the rules would take effect in April, but the Office of Management and Budget needed additional time to vet the new regulations.

“Now, on June 11, these unnecessary and harmful Internet regulations will be repealed and the bipartisan, light-touch approach that served the online world well for nearly 20 years will be restored," FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement Thursday. Pai, a Republican, who voted against the 2015 rules enacted under an Obama-era FCC, was appointed chairman by President Trump in January 2017.

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