The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday approved its strongest set of net neutrality rules yet. Prior to the vote, FCC Chair Tom Wheeler pointed to the 4 million comments his agency received from the public throughout the process, using them as an example of why corporations shouldn't dictate access to the internet.
"Those 4 million comments also illustrate the importance of an open and unfettered network, and the role it plays as a core of free expression and democratic principles," Wheeler said. "While some other countries try to control the internet, the action that we take today is an irrefutable reflection of the principle that no one, whether government or corporate, should control a free and open access to the internet."
Wheeler hit the same point again and again in his speech: "The internet is the ultimate vehicle for free expression. The internet is simply too important to allow broadband providers to be the ones making the rules."
Listen to the best segments of the speech above.
Will you support Vox’s explanatory journalism?
Most news outlets make their money through advertising or subscriptions. But when it comes to what we’re trying to do at Vox, there are a couple reasons that we can't rely only on ads and subscriptions to keep the lights on.
First, advertising dollars go up and down with the economy. We often only know a few months out what our advertising revenue will be, which makes it hard to plan ahead.
Second, we’re not in the subscriptions business. Vox is here to help everyone understand the complex issues shaping the world — not just the people who can afford to pay for a subscription. We believe that’s an important part of building a more equal society. We can’t do that if we have a paywall.
That’s why we also turn to you, our readers, to help us keep Vox free. If you also believe that everyone deserves access to trusted high-quality information, will you make a gift to Vox today?
Yes, I'll give $5/month
Yes, I'll give $5/month
We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and
Google Pay. You can also contribute via
