Updated: Statement of Gigi Sohn on FCC’s Abdication of its Authority to Protect Consumers and Likely Repeal of Net Neutrality Rules

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai just announced that he will release a draft order tomorrow that, if adopted, would reclassify broadband Internet access as a deregulated “information service”, repeal the FCC’s 2015 network neutrality rules and replace them only with a transparency rule. The following statement should be attributed to Gigi Sohn:

“Just in time for Thanksgiving, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai will deliver every American a giant Internet turkey, the main course of his year-long feast on consumers’ rights. If adopted, the basic protections that consumers and innovators rely on to protect them from the anti-competitive and anti-consumer behaviors of huge broadband providers like Comcast and AT&T will be cooked. In a few short weeks, the big broadband providers will be free to double their prices, extract extra tolls on fast lanes for online businesses, and track and sell their customers’ web browsing activity. When they’re done, what will remain of consumer protection on the Internet will be nothing more than a carcass.”