Divided U.S. FCC Votes to Begin Net Neutrality Rule Rollback
- Commission votes 2-1 to start dismantling Obama-era web rules
- Vote beings months-long process leading to final vote
FCC Takes First Step to Rescind Net Neutrality Rules
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Regulators began dismantling Obama-era net neutrality rules with a vote on Thursday, opening the way to fewer restrictions on broadband providers and raising web companies’ fears they’ll face barriers to reaching customers.
The Federal Communications Commission in a 2-1 Republican-led vote gave preliminary approval to Chairman Ajit Pai’s plan to replace rules passed in 2015 by Democrats. Pai wants to remove strong legal authority that critics say over-regulates telephone and cable providers, and that defenders say is needed to enforce fair treatment of web traffic.