The FCC wants the future of net neutrality to not include net neutrality

On December 14, the FCC will consider and vote on Chairman Ajit Pai’s “Restoring Internet Freedom” proposal, which would reclassify internet service — now considered a Title II “utility” — as an “information service.” The proposal, which is expected to pass on a party-line 3-2 vote, would end a 2015 policy known as “net neutrality,” and give internet service providers significantly more power over what their customers do on the internet and how they access it.

Pai, his Republican allies, and the telecom industry promise that this will allow the internet to flourish and stimulate investment in broadband internet infrastructure. Critics and experts argue, however, that this policy change will simply remove the FCC-imposed barriers that prevent telecoms from abusing their power over the content and services delivered over their networks.