Net neutrality is the principle that says all information flowing across the Internet should be treated equally. But with more people streaming data-rich video and playing online games, the Internet faces congestion concerns. Should carriers be able to sell multi-tiered access to heavy users? Should sites that generate massive traffic -- like Google and Yahoo! -- pay extra fees? The U.S. Government is examining Net Neutrality and its financial, legal and social implications. Do we need federal intervention to ensure fairness, or is this an issue for the market to work out?
This is one of the most overlooked points in the Net neutrality debate: Existing laws and regulations ALREADY GUARANTEE an open Internet.
The Communications Act of 1934 (Title 1) gives the federal government power to protect consumers from online discrimination. Amazon is one of the strong corporate supporters of Net neutrality regulation but even its spokesman has agreed that this gives the FCC power to take action if presented with unfair business tactics by broadband providers.
In 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court explicitly recognized federal authority to protect consumers’ online rights.
Other protections for Net users include multiple antitrust laws, laws against unfair competition and the FCC’s own “Four Principles” for an open Internet. The first principle is clear: “Consumers are entitled to access the lawful Internet content of their choice.”
So consumers already have multiple protections without expensive Net neutrality regulations tying down tomorrow’s Internet in red tape and new legal costs.
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