Grassroots Oppose FCC's Attempts to Reclassify, Regulate the Internet

WASHINGTON, Aug. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) closed the official public comment period today on what may be the most important decision in its history – imposing massive first-time federal regulations on the Internet. Having been told by the Courts that they are not legally authorized to regulate the Internet, the FCC is considering a legally risky path, advocated by radical left groups such as Free Press, to unilaterally force the Internet into an antiquated regulatory regime designed for monopoly phone companies of the 1930s. 

According to comments the Internet Freedom Coalition (IFC) filed with the FCC, "Americans have heard political leaders admit that we will not know the full extent or nature of massive health care and financial services regulations until after the underlying legislation has been passed. Now, Americans are facing the imposition of an even lesser-understood regulatory regime over the Internet without the benefit of any legislative process whatsoever."

"Without cause or provocation, the FCC is on a reckless pursuit to regulate the Internet.  They have completely ignored courts, Congress, the American people, and any criticism or suggestions from the free-market community.  Hopefully, the FCC will take this last chance to listen to some voices of reason," said Kelly William Cobb, executive director, Digital Liberty Project and a member of the coalition.

Reclassifying information services as telecommunications services is a radical increase of federal regulatory authority over the Internet that will harm both consumers and producers.  However, the FCC is moving forward with its plans, despite misgivings by the federal courts and bipartisan opposition in Congress.

Members of the Internet Freedom Coalition representing millions of concerned Americans have submitted public comments to the FCC detailing their opposition to the government's unwarranted intrusion into the Internet sector including the economic consequences and the uncertain legality of this latest government power grab.

"It is imperative that advocates for the First Amendment and free markets speak out against the misnamed organization Free Press," said Seton Motley, Editor in Chief of StopNetRegulation.org.  "Free Press advocates Network Neutrality and a radical government takeover of the Internet to get to it. In fact, its co-founder, Robert McChesney, has said 'What we want … is an Internet that is not private property, but public utility.'  The FCC should wholly reject the radical – and destructive – Web prescriptions of groups like Free Press."

The Internet Freedom Coalition (IFC) is an ad hoc coalition of organizations and individuals committed to the continued growth and improvement of the Internet, who believe regulations and taxes are harmful to those ends.  The Internet Freedom Coalition believes that a free and open Internet is beneficial to society but argues that regulatory intervention in the well-functioning marketplace that has thus far produced a vast, free and open network would unnecessarily limit the current and future supply of bandwidth and harm both producers and consumers.

SOURCE Internet Freedom Coalition