WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) — U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minnesota) helped introduce a landmark piece of legislation to help keep access to the Internet equal for consumers in Minnesota and across the country.
The Online Competition and Consumer Choice Act, introduced by Sen. Franken alongside original authors Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) and Rep. Doris Matsui (D-California), bans pay-to-play agreements that let deep-pocketed corporations deliver their content on an Internet “fast lane” that small businesses in Minnesota and elsewhere in the United states can’t afford to compete with. The bill would help ensure that consumers can access all Internet content equally, spurring competition and allowing the Internet to continue as a marketplace of innovation.
“Net neutrality is the principle that all Internet traffic must be treated equally,” said Senator Franken, who chairs the Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law. “And that’s the way it should be-the website of a Minnesota small business should load as quickly as the website of a large business. Since the FCC’s rules for net neutrality were struck down earlier this year, I’ve been fighting hard to make sure that the Internet remains an open marketplace where everyone can participate on equal footing. Our bill would be a huge step towards preserving the Internet as we know it.”
The Online Competition and Consumer Choice Act would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to prohibit paid prioritization agreements between Internet Service Provider’s (ISP) and content providers. In addition, it would prohibit broadband providers from prioritizing or otherwise giving preferential treatment to its own Internet traffic or the traffic of its affiliates over the traffic of others.
Sen. Franken has long been one of Congress’ most vocal proponent of net neutrality. Earlier this year, a federal appeals court struck down the FCC’s rules for net neutrality, which Sen. Franken helped strengthen in 2010. The court’s decision was a major setback for consumers and small businesses, threatening the architecture of the Internet. In response, Sen. Franken called on the FCC to take appropriate action to preserve equal access to the Internet.
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Preceding provided by Senator Al Franken of Minnesota