Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) unloaded on the FCC after they voted 2-1 to roll back net neutrality protections and in essence destroy the internet.
After the FCC voted 2-1 on a party-line basis to kill net neutrality protections, “Sen. Franken said in a statement made available to PoliticusUSA, “Make no mistake: the FCC just took a major step toward destroying the internet as we know it, putting the interests of a handful of giant corporations like Comcast and Verizon ahead of the American people. For as long as the internet has existed, it’s been grounded on the principle of net neutrality—meaning what you read, see, or watch on the internet shouldn’t be favored, blocked, or slowed down based on where that content is coming from. Net neutrality allows Minnesota’s small businesses to compete with the big guys, it drives innovation by putting entrepreneurs on the same playing field with large companies, and it protects Americans’ free speech. The truth is there’s no good reason to get rid of strong net neutrality protections, unless you want to give giant companies the power to shake-down consumers and small businesses even more by establishing fast and slow lanes. This is a terrible idea, and it’s never been more important for us mobilize and fight back to stop the FCC—and the large corporations who are behind this attack—from destroying the free and open internet that all Americans deserve.”
Sen. Franken was correct. The goal of Republicans is to turn control of the internet over to giant corporations. Net Neutrality allows the internet to be a true marketplace of ideas, where all are on equal footing. Gutting net neutrality would allow big corporations like Comcast and Verizon to block or slow down websites based on a site’s ability to pay to be read.
When Republicans talk about restoring freedom to the internet, they don’t mean freedom for consumers to equally read and view whatever they want. Republican internet freedom is defined by corporations controlling and profiting by restricting access to content the internet.
With all of the Trump scandal and insanity dominating the news, it is easy to forget that the Republican-controlled federal government remains hard at work implementing their pro-corporate agenda.
It is time for America to mobilize to protect one of the last democratic spaces left in our society.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
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