The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has just approved a plan proposed by the Biden administration, aimed at fostering “equity and diversity” in the online realm. However, several critics have expressed concerns, labeling this initiative as a “takeover of the Internet.”
On Wednesday, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved a plan with a 3-2 vote, which aims to grant the federal government full jurisdiction over the Internet.
The proposal is being marketed as a strategy to mitigate digital inequality and guarantee the fair and inclusive availability of broadband internet services within the United States. The idea nonetheless confers extensive accessibility and regulatory authority over all aspects of the Internet, a prospect that numerous individuals reasonably anticipate may result in governmental misuse.
According to the text, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) would possess the jurisdiction to regulate the subsequent facets of every Internet Service Provider (ISP).
“network infrastructure deployment, network reliability, network upgrades, network maintenance, customer-premises equipment, and installation”;
“speeds, capacities, latency, data caps, throttling, pricing, promotional rates, imposition of late fees, opportunity for equipment rental, installation time, contract renewal terms, service termination terms, and use of customer credit and account history”;
“mandatory arbitration clauses, pricing, deposits, discounts, customer service, language options, credit checks, marketing or advertising, contract renewal, upgrades, account termination, transfers to another covered entity, and service suspension.”
In a memo, FCC Commissioner Brandon Carr strongly criticized the Biden administration for their perceived endeavor to assert control over the Internet.
“Needless to say, Congress never contemplated the sweeping regulatory regime that President Biden asked the FCC to adopt—let alone authorized the agency to implement it,” Carr argued. “Nonetheless, the Commission will vote next week, on November 15th, to put President Biden’s plan in place. A draft of the FCC order implementing President Biden’s plan is available here. I oppose the plan for several reasons.”
“As exhausting as it is to read that list, the FCC itself says it is not an exhaustive li,” Carr went on. “The Biden Administration’s plan empowers the FCC to regulate every aspect of the Internet sector for the first time ever. The plan is motivated by an ideology of government control that is not compatible with the fundamental precepts of free market capitalism.”
“But it gets worse,” Carr warned. “The FCC reserves the right under this plan to regulate both ‘actions and omissions, whether recurring or a single instance.’ In other words, if you take any action, you may be liable, and if you do nothing, you may be liable. There is no path to complying with this standardless regime. It reads like a planning document drawn up in the faculty lounge of a university’s Soviet Studies Department.”
Carr conducted thorough fact-checking on the purported “myths” disseminated by the Biden administration in its efforts to impose stringent regulations on the Internet.
In Carr’s fact check, he highlights the exaggerated assertions around the consequences of the repeal of Net Neutrality, emphasizing that these claims were ultimately unfounded.
Senator Ted Cruz issued a press release regarding the matter:
“U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) released the following statement after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to finalize its “Digital Discrimination” order:
“Despite admitting there’s ‘little to no evidence’ of discrimination by telecommunications companies, Democrats are hoping to convince the American people that broadband Internet is so racist they need to plow ahead with government-mandated affirmative action and race-based pricing. The only beneficiaries of this Orwellian ‘equity’ plan are overzealous government regulators who want to control the Internet.”
“On Monday, Sen. Cruz led 27 of his colleagues in calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to rescind its draft order, which would give the federal government control over nearly every aspect of the Internet while opening broadband providers to expansive, indeterminate, and crippling liability under a “disparate impact” standard. Read the full letter HERE.”
In February, President Biden discreetly issued an executive order expressing his administration’s desire to implement regulatory measures on the Internet, with the aim of advancing the principles of diversity and justice.
The aforementioned directive is referred to as the “Executive Order on Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through The Federal Government.”
The inclusion of a certain clause inside the executive order prompted a significant level of apprehension among a considerable portion of the population.
When designing, developing, acquiring, and using artificial intelligence and automated systems in the Federal Government, agencies shall do so, consistent with applicable law, in a manner that advances equity.
The execution of the executive order would involve the establishment of a “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” (DEI) board responsible for overseeing the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in order to advance “equity” – a term that possesses a degree of ambiguity and can be interpreted to align with various bureaucratic measures.
Sources: FCC, FCC’s Carr
The post The Government Just Given Approval For Full Takeover Of This Internet – It’s Bad appeared first on The Republic Brief.
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