You might think that the head of the Federal Communications Commission would object to President Trump's incendiary description of news organizations as "the enemy of the American people." But you'd be wrong.
A coalition of 171 public interest groups have sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission and Senate leaders urging them not to kill the agency's 2015 Net Neutrality rules. In the letter, groups including Consumers Union, Public Knowledge, the ACLU, EFF, Free Press and more note that the rules have massive public support.
The nation's largest broadband companies, including Comcast, AT&T and Verizon, hate federal rules approved last year that require them to obtain "opt-in" consent before using, sharing or selling private consumer data.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai claimed that even if the agency’s privacy rules are undone, the FCC would still be obligated by communications law to protect consumer information.
The FCC is asking the public for comment on a recent decision to revoke nine companies’ participation in a subsidy program designed to help low-income households gain internet access.
Donald Trump, who has never been shy about demanding that the media do his bidding, now has the power to shape the rules that define the future of newspapers, broadcast media and the internet.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai may be spreading fake news about broadband in an attempt to build a record against the Net Neutrality rules. At least that's how some consumer advocates view the FCC chief's most recent attempts to justify a repeal of the open internet order.