FCC Official: Net Neutrality Is Far Worse Than You Can Imagine

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Republicans used Star War’s quotes in their attacks on controversial new broadband regulations on Friday, warning that the public were in for an unpleasant surprise. 

Quoting Emperor Palpatine, Republican Ajit Pai and FCC member Mike O’Rielly said: “Young fool … Only now, at the end, do you understand.”

O’Rielly further warned that once the public see the published Net Neutrality rules they will be “worse than you imagine”.

The Guardian reports:

The FCC on Thursday voted through strict new rules to regulate broadband and protect net neutrality – the principle that all information and services should have equal access to the internet.

The historic vote was cheered by internet activists, President Barack Obama and many in the tech community. However, few people have seen the actual orders. On Friday the FCC was finalising its documentation for publication – it it is not expected to release the orders until next week at the very earliest.

Pai said the new rules would mean “permission-less innovation is a thing of the past”. The new rules will ban broadband providers from creating fast lanes for some or slowing the traffic of others for commercial reasons. They will also give the FCC the power to police conduct by broadband providers on a case-by-case basis.

Internet service providers will not be allowed to “unreasonably interfere with or unreasonably disadvantage” consumers’ access to content and services.

O’Rielly said this would mean that any company looking to start a new service would have to seek permission ahead of time. He said anybody looking for new business opportunities in the document would be best off becoming a “telecoms lawyer”.

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