BE SMART ABOUT: AJIT PAI - FCC Chairman to Repeal Net Neutrality

BE SMART ABOUT is an unfortunate series highlighting examples of those in power who you need to stay informed about so you can share this knowledge and together we can Be Smart and Actively Dissent.

Today we discuss a recent action of Federal Communication Commission chairman Ajit Pai, who has wasted no time becoming an enemy of the people he's supposedly representing.  A few prior examples of his destructive work are here and here.

Last week, Pai released a draft plan to reverse the landmark 2015 "net neutrality" order and faces an initial May 18th vote next week.  

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, named by Trump in January, disclosed his intent Wednesday to repeal the Obama era rules that reclassified internet service and tightly regulated providers as if they were utilities. The FCC also plans to scrap the 2015 internet conduct standard and an ombudsman position created to hear complaints of net neutrality violations.

Under the Pai plan, “high-speed internet service should no longer be treated like a public utility with strict rules, as it is now. Instead, he said, the industry should largely be left to police itself.” Internet service providers and major web sites such as Facebook and Google are in favor of the plan.  Why's that?

FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn and Federal Trade Commissioner Terrell McSweeny opposed Pai's plan, saying it "would allow broadband providers to erect barriers or charge tolls to any application, connected device, or website that the broadband providers’ customers want to reach. It would allow broadband providers to favor their own content over others, and pick winners and losers on the internet."

Former FCC Commissioner Michael Copps warned that, “By reopening the FCC’s historic 2015 Open Internet Order, the FCC is jeopardizing core protections for online free speech and competition. Chairman Pai appears more interested in currying favor with cable and telecom industry lobbyists than in serving the millions of Americans who wrote and called to urge the commission, during the original rule-making, to provide strong protections against online blocking, throttling, or censorship.”

Be Smart about Ajit Pai.  Actively Dissent.

ACTION: The plan will face review by Congress.  Look up your Senator and Representative using the tool in the upper-right of the web site.  Call them and let them know how you feel about net neutrality. There will be many actions and votes attempting to roll back important rules to protect Americans in many facets of our everyday lives. We need to stay vigilant to not get bogged down in scandals and corruption charges while these supposed leaders seek to dismantle the government.

Also, sign a petition such as this one and others.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-internet-fcc-idUSKBN17T34W