The FCC has released its plans to kill off net neutrality, and it doesn’t look great for consumers. Good news though, just like last time, the FCC is opening up the proposal for a public debate.
Back in 2014, when the FCC opened up comments on its net neutrality plans, people flocked to the site in droves, crashing it before eventually submitting almost 4 million comments. The reason? Most consumer and tech advocates believe net neutrality is a good thing. We’ve covered this topic a lot over the years, but the quick and simple version is that net neutrality ensures that all sites on the internet are treated equally, ISPs are regulated fairly, and no site, app, or service can be blocked nor pay for preferential treatment.
Just like last time, you can comment on net neutrality using the FCC’s same old archaic and weird comments system, but this time it should have the back end to support a ton of traffic. This comment process will happen in two waves. Right now, you can comment on the draft proposal, which has lots of questions about how the final proposal should be worded. The second comment cycle will be about the official proposal, will begin after May 18 and will be open for three months. You should be able to comment on both. Here’s how to do it now:
Head to the listing for the “Restoring Internet Freedom” proposal (you can also search for Docket 17-108), which is perhaps the most ludicrously self-serving and false title we’ve seen in a while.
Most of us can just click on “+ Express” on the left sidebar. This will send you to a simplified submission form. If you want to send more info, like attachments and images, use the “+New Filing” option.
Fill out out the form and click on “Continue to review screen” when you’re finished. Review your comment, then send it off. You will need to include your name, home address, and phone number. All of that will be publicly accessible. That’s just part of the deal here.
If you want to take a look at the full draft of the proposal, you can find it here. If you’re looking for additional outside reading before commenting, Gizmodo breaks down some of the lies from the speech, Ars Technica digs into some of it as well, and The Washington Post highlights some of the politics of it all. If you’re curious about one of the most bizarre ideas in the new proposal, Ars Technica talks about how FCC thinks that throttling will actually help consumers. In general, the draft of the proposal is clearly geared to help broadband providers, asking whether or not it’s cool if ISPs charge web sites for faster access to consumers, and if it’s okay that broadband companies hide certain fees and data caps (that in section 89 if you’re keeping track).
The argument there, if you’re curious, is that FCC thinks the broadband market is so competitive that it isn’t necessary to require them to disclose hidden fees beyond what’s required in the 2010 transparency rule. That seems mostly related to broadband speed issues, including congestion issues (like when you’re throttled). The change made in 2015 referenced in the new FCC document required providers to specifically disclose actual download speeds, amongst other things revolving generally around transparency.
Once you get through the reading and form your opinion, go ahead and comment. If you’re not sure what to say exactly, Gizmodo’s guide from 2014 is still applicable, but the main idea is to keep it simple and talk about specific paragraphs in the FCC proposal where necessary. Talk about why you think net neutrality is important, why the newest proposal doesn’t work for you, and what fears you might have either way.