Even with all the intelligence at their disposal, human beings have, time and time again, shown a tendency to make mistakes. Now, you can argue that some of these mistakes actually teach us a lot, but at the same time, some can also go on to trigger irreparable along the way. With such a vulnerable dynamic running the show, anyone would naturally want a defensive cover, and to the world’s credit, it will find that exact cover on the back a dedicated regulatory industry. Having a well-defined authority across each and area was an absolute game-changer, as it instantly made us more organized than ever before. However, the utopia was pretty short-lived, and if we are being honest, it was all because of technology. You see, the moment technology took over the scene; it gave people an unprecedented shot at exploiting others’ missteps. This expectantly disturbed our entire progress and sent us back to square one. Fortunately, the wheels are moving once again, and the traces of that seem to be pretty evident around a few recent cases. In fact, one freshly-proposed bill does a lot to reinforce the same.
According to a report from the Washington Post, the democrats are reviving the fight against net neutrality by introducing a new bill, which will codify the Obama-era internet rules. This pertains to the Net Neutrality and Broadband Justice Act that, if approved, will reclassify broadband as a telecommunications service under Title II, giving Federal Communications Commission new enforcement powers over the internet, including the power to set rules against throttling, blocking, or paid prioritization. Mind you, the idea of net neutrality has been around for a while now. After Obama administration conceived it in the first place, it was President Trump who rolled back the provisions in 2017, causing the fight to go dormant. However, the new legislation, which is led by Sens. Ed Markey and Ron Wyden, is now looking to reverse that big time.
“It is more clear than ever that broadband internet is an essential utility,” said Rosemary Boeglin, a spokesperson for Ed Markey. “Senator Markey firmly believes that the Federal Communications Commission’s authority should reflect that, so it can fulfill its obligations to the public by reinstating net neutrality rules, protecting consumers, and taking other critical steps to create a just digital future.”
While an approval here would spell a major moment in the bid to better regulate the internet sphere, the bill is still expected to face some pushback from Republicans and the broadband industry, which has long been critical about the government’s efforts to establish a scrutiny on the internet world.
