Obama: 'I am unequivocally committed to net neutrality'

Obama: &#039;I am unequivocally committed to net neutrality&#039;

(Image credit: White House)

last updated 8 January 2015

Proponents of net neutrality — so, most Americans — officially (re)gained a major ally on Thursday. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is preparing to vote on "open internet" or net neutrality rules, and President Obama is laying down his marker. "I am unequivocally committed to net neutrality," Obama said at a town hall event at Cross Campus, a tech incubator in Santa Monica, California. "I think it is what has unleashed the power of the internet, and you don't want to lose that or clog the pipes."

This isn't a new position for Obama, but people got nervous about the president's commitment after his FCC chairman, Tom Wheeler, proposed new rules that would potentially open up a two-tier internet access system. The FCC, an independent agency, will get the final say — or the federal courts might, since the D.C. circuit court has struck down the FCC's last two attempts to codify net neutrality.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.

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