After widespread protests and nearly 4 million comments on the Federal Communications Commission’s website, President Obama has finally made a statement in favor of reclassifying internet service under Title II to protect net neutrality. So that’s it. We have the “big guns” now and that’s all we’ll need to win the battle for the net right? I wouldn’t be so sure. In his statement, he insists that the FCC is an independent agency and that the decision is up to them. So that begs the question: where does the president’s influence over the FCC end? He appointed Tom Wheeler to be the FCC chairman, but will he fire him if he fails to protect the internet? If not, we’re still in big trouble because Wheeler is a former cable lobbyist, meaning he has ties to the very corporations he is in charge of regulating; the corporations that want to end net neutrality.
View the President’s statement here: