{"id":938005,"date":"2021-10-29T15:43:43","date_gmt":"2021-10-29T19:43:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=938005"},"modified":"2021-10-29T15:43:46","modified_gmt":"2021-10-29T19:43:46","slug":"analysis-bidens-fcc-picks-could-bring-back-a-more-regulated-internet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/analysis-bidens-fcc-picks-could-bring-back-a-more-regulated-internet\/","title":{"rendered":"ANALYSIS: Biden\u2019s FCC Picks Could Bring Back A More Regulated Internet"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fanalysis-bidens-fcc-picks-could-bring-back-a-more-regulated-internet%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=938005&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><ul>\n<li><strong>President Joe Biden picked Jessica Rosenworcel and Gigi Sohn for positions on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in late October, setting a course for a return to more government oversight of internet networks should the nominations be confirmed.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>An effort to return to net neutrality, or the idea that internet service providers must treat all types of online content equally, is likely given both nominees\u2019 history, as is a push for more government-operated broadband networks.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cI have concerns that Democrats on the Commission will once again try to expand government control of the Internet by reclassifying broadband carriers under Title II, a disastrous policy that limits innovation,\u201d Rep. Bob Latta, Republican Leader of the House Energy and Commerce Communications Subcommittee, told the DCNF.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Sohn\u2019s nomination in particular could also spell a more partisan future for the FCC, as the Georgetown Law fellow has made comments disparaging Republicans and co-founded tech policy think tank Public Knowledge, which is partially funded&nbsp;through donations from left-wing billionaires including Pierre Omidyar and George Soros.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>President Joe Biden picked Jessica Rosenworcel and Gigi Sohn for positions on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in late October, setting a course for a return to more government oversight of internet networks should the nominations be confirmed.<\/p>\n<p>Rosenworcel, who is currently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fcc.gov\/about\/leadership\/jessica-rosenworcel\">serving<\/a> as acting chairwoman, was nominated to the permanent role, while Sohn, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.georgetown.edu\/news\/georgetown-laws-new-institute-for-technology-law-policy-announces-appointment-of-gigi-sohn-as-distinguished-fellow\/\">Georgetown Law<\/a> fellow and former FCC official, was nominated to fill the empty commissioner seat. If confirmed, the nominees would give Democrats a 3-2 majority in the currently 2-2 FCC.<\/p>\n<p>An effort to return to net neutrality, or the idea that internet service providers must treat all types of online content equally, is likely given both nominees\u2019 history, as is a push for more government-operated broadband networks. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/10\/26\/joe-biden-jessica-rosenworcel-federal-communications-commission\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">(RELATED: Biden To Name Jessica Rosenworcel As First Female Chair Of The FCC)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re always going to see a push for more government oversight and control,\u201d Katie McAuliffe, executive director at Digital Liberty, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. \u201cObviously a big thing is Title II net neutrality and rate regulation.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7311776\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" readability=\"38\">\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-7311776\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Georgetown University Law Institute for Technology Law and Policy fellow Gigi Sohn testifies before the House Judiciary Committee\u2019s Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law Subcommittee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill March 12, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/9381c384-0c59-41d7-bbdf-62bbf54449a6.filesusr.com\/ugd\/14d834_527c17c998914c16b92e468e438470c2.pdf\">Sohn<\/a>, who previously worked as counselor for former Democratic FCC Chair Tom Wheeler, has called for revisiting the Obama-era regulatory framework classifying broadband networks as common carriers under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934. This framework imposes more regulations on internet service providers (ISPs), such as preventing them from charging different rates or opening \u201cfast lanes\u201d offering higher speeds for certain types of online content.<\/p>\n<p>President Joe Biden himself issued an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/presidential-actions\/2021\/07\/09\/executive-order-on-promoting-competition-in-the-american-economy\/\">executive order<\/a>&nbsp;in July instructing the FCC to adopt Title II net neutrality rules in a bid to promote competition between ISPs.<\/p>\n<p>Should the Democrats regain the majority in the FCC, Republicans worry about the impact these regulations could have on private broadband networks and efforts to close the digital divide. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/07\/22\/federal-communications-commission-roger-wicker-brendan-carr-universal-service-fund\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">(RELATED: Senate Republicans Propose Making Big Tech Pay For Internet Infrastructure)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have concerns that Democrats on the Commission will once again try to expand government control of the Internet by reclassifying broadband carriers under Title II, a disastrous policy that limits innovation,\u201d Rep. Bob Latta, Republican Leader of the House Energy and Commerce communications subcommittee, told the DCNF.<\/p>\n<p>Latta said he was committed to working with Rosenworcel to expand broadband deployment, but cautioned against excessive government oversight.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSince the Restoring Internet Freedom Order (which reversed the Title II classification), we\u2019ve seen faster broadband speeds and massive private investment in our broadband infrastructure,\u201d Latta said.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5805751\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" readability=\"38\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5805751\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5805751\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/GettyImages-818845454-e1501790186278.jpg\" alt=\"WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 19: (L-R) Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai and nominees Jessica Rosenworcel and Brendan Carr prepare to testify before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee during their confirmation hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill July 19, 2017 in Washington, DC. Pai has served as the FCC chairman since January of 2017 and is due for re-appointment. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla\/Getty Images)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/GettyImages-818845454-e1501790186278.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/GettyImages-818845454-e1501790186278-279x120.jpg 279w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/GettyImages-818845454-e1501790186278-768x330.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/GettyImages-818845454-e1501790186278-620x267.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-5805751\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai and nominees Jessica Rosenworcel and Brendan Carr prepare to testify before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee during their confirmation hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill July 19, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Moreover, Sohn\u2019s nomination in particular could also spell a more partisan future for the FCC.<\/p>\n<p>The Georgetown Law fellow has made comments disparaging Republicans and former President Donald Trump, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/gigibsohn\/status\/1242928394389671939\">arguing<\/a>&nbsp;that Senate Republicans\u2019 \u201cideology has overtaken their duty to serve their constituents\u201d in reference to their opposition to a particular broadband subsidy. She <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/gigibsohn\/status\/1266364382239481856\">described<\/a>&nbsp;Trump as one of a group of \u201cright-wing extremists,\u201d and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/gigibsohn\/status\/1269653622167568386\">claimed<\/a>&nbsp;the former president was \u201cdestroying the constitution.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sohn also co-founded tech policy think tank Public Knowledge which promotes \u201cfreedom of expression, an open internet, and access to affordable communications tools and creative works.\u201d The organization is partially <a href=\"https:\/\/www.publicknowledge.org\/about-us\/sources-of-funding-for-public-knowledge\/\">funded<\/a>&nbsp;through donations from left-wing billionaires including Pierre Omidyar and George Soros.<\/p>\n<p>The timing of the nominations may further complicate matters as Rosenworcel\u2019s term as commissioner has already expired and she is due to leave the agency in January, unless she is confirmed as chair. This would leave Republicans with a 2-1 majority on the FCC in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>Sohn, who was originally intended to be nominated to the role of chair <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CGasparino\/status\/1453065957254045703\">according<\/a>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fiercewireless.com\/regulatory\/fcc-composition-remains-murkier-than-ever-says-nsr-analyst\">to<\/a> multiple reports, has no such time constraints on her nomination, but is likely to be considered along with Rosenworcel, McAuliffe said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re trying to sneak through their much more progressive nominee on an expedited timeline,\u201d McAuliffe told the DCNF. \u201cShe\u2019s going to pull the Commission to the left.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact <a href=\"mailto:licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org\">licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>President Joe Biden picked Jessica Rosenworcel and Gigi Sohn for positions on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in late October, setting a course for a return to more government oversight &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":96,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-938005","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/938005","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/96"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=938005"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/938005\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=938005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=938005"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=938005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}