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Free Press
Craig Aaron is president and CEO of the activist group Free Press, an independent group that advocates for press freedom, diversity in media and supporting net neutrality.
PROFILE
Craig Aaron
Guest
FROM Craig Aaron
To the Point
FCC to vote on rolling back net neutrality regulations Photo by Backbone Campaign Currently, broadband transmission is classified as a "common carrier"—subject to government oversight. Tomorrow, the Federal Communications Commission is scheduled to begin the process of letting phone and cable companies police themselves. That would mean the end of what's called "net neutrality." Craig Aaron, president and CEO of Free Press , an independent group that advocates for press freedom, diversity in media and supporting net neutrality, considers what the vote could mean to consumers.
To the Point
New Rules for the Internet FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler is advocating that Internet providers be required to maintain " net neutrality ." The one-time chief lobbyist for the cable industry has turned on former employers, including Comcast and Time-Warner. That means cable and phone companies could not increase their profits by selling faster access to some websites while denying it to everyone else. Google, Netflix, Amazon, many businesses and consumer groups call that a major victory. But another battle in 10 years of warfare is just beginning. On a video that went viral last summer, comedian John Oliver told his viewers the FCC was asking for their opinions. Oliver may or may not deserve credit, but the agency has received four million public comments. And now, the joke may be on him. Tom Wheeler, the very man Oliver said wanted to "fix" a system that wasn’t broken, has now proposed what Oliver wanted.
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