September 26, 2023

(Alexandria, Virginia) —Today, Jessica Rosenworcel, Chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission announced that the agency would soon vote to bring back so-called “net neutrality” regulation of the Internet. Gerard Scimeca, chairman and co-founder of CASE, Consumer Action for a Strong Economy, made the following comment:

“Net neutrality is a gift to Big Tech, which is why companies like Google have spent years funding activist organizations pushing for this regulation. While regulators in DC have wasted time and public resources litigating net neutrality, Big Tech companies have grown into the censorious and anti-competitive behemoths they are today. Far from protecting free speech, net neutrality is a subsidy to the very tech companies that censor and deplatform conservatives. At a time when Democrats and Republicans both claim to want to rein in Big Tech, net neutrality would only help cement those companies’ power and dominance.

“Aside from helping Big Tech, net neutrality regulations kill jobs and investment, particularly in rural areas most in need of broadband connectivity. While President Biden claims to want to connect all Americans and close the digital divide, it’s telling that he would call on the FCC to impose rules that would undermine that very goal. For a president who is already so unpopular on the economy, it’s hard to imagine why he would push for heavy, anti-business regulation—other than appeasing far-left activists who want government to control the Internet.”