The death knell for the cherished principle of Net Neutrality sounded last month when US regulators narrowly voted to roll back Title II protections.
Without the rules in place, internet service providers could choose to charge customers extra to access certain services. Content providers could also be on the hook for fast-lane access, or risk their services being slowed.
However, it appears there’s still lingering hope for the founding concept enacted by the web’s forefathers.
The United States Senate has amassed 50 votes in favour of reversing the Federal Communications Commission ruling, meaning they need just one more to potentially rescue Net Neutrality.
Senate Democrats have all voted in favour of the measure and they’ve now been joined by a Republican – Senator Susan Collins. It would take just one more GOP senator to cross party lines in order to pass the measure.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Shumer told The Washington Post: “With full caucus support, it’s clear that Democrats are committed to fighting to keep the Internet from becoming the Wild West where ISPs are free to offer premium service to only the wealthiest customers while average consumers are left with far inferior options.”
Such is the three-pronged nature of the US government, any successful vote would still need to make it through the House of Representatives (Congress).
After that, President Donald Trump would still have to sign-off on the resolution.
Given he’s the one who appointed FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, the man behind the effort to kill Net Neutrality in the first place, this remains a long shot.
Are you fearful for the internet’s future minus protection from net neutrality rules? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
