The Internet is credited with enabling possibilities unimagined a generation ago. It has lowered the cost of launching a new idea, ignited new political movements, brought communities closer together, and has been one of the most significant democratizing influences the world has known. One reason for its success is that all Internet traffic is treated equally, giving each user the opportunity to be seen and heard. Net neutrality refers to the concept that an open Internet allows for all websites, both large and small, to have the same speed and access to customers and audiences regardless of content, application or platform. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) such as AT&T, Comcast and Verizon want to prioritize Web traffic by reserving the fastest loading speeds for those paying the highest access fees, and relegating all other content to a slower tier of service. Critics say these fees would destroy an open Internet by severely limiting the ability of small websites to communicate with the people they need to reach, and stack the odds against the success of startup ventures. They say ISPs could also block content and speech they don’t like, and reject apps that compete with their own offerings.

In 2015, the Federal Communications Commission adopted the Open Internet Order to protect Internet users from ISPs throttling traffic, censoring content and imposing unfair fees. But in 2018, the FCC chairman repealed the Open Internet order, ending network neutrality regulation in the United States.

Proposed Legislation: H.R.1644 - Save the Internet Act of 2019
Prospective Sponsor: Rep. Michael F. Doyle (PA)

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