FMC Statement on Net Neutrality Rulemaking Process
Today, the Federal Communications Commission voted to bring forward a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on net neutrality—a process meant to preserve an open and accessible Internet. FCC Commissioners voted 3-2 in favor of opening a 120-day comment period in which the public is invited to weigh in on the proposed rules.
The proposal, which had been previously amended in the face of unprecedented response from creators and the public, asks questions about the best way to prevent Internet Service Providers from picking winners and losers online.
The following statement is attributed to Casey Rae, Interim Executive Director for Future of Music Coalition, a national non-profit research, education and advocacy organization for musicians.
“It’s amazing to see what an impact artists continue to have on this process. Eddie Vedder, Neko Case, Fugazi, Michael Stipe, Erin McKeown and dozens more have already weighed in directly in the form of a letter to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, and the drumbeat is only getting louder. We’re encouraged that the FCC is starting to ask some of the right questions about how to keep the Internet open for creativity and entrepreneurship. But we all need to keep the pressure on to make sure that the rules we end up with prevent any and all discrimination of lawful online content.
“The FCC can make this happen by choosing a legal approach that ensures everyone who uses the Internet, including artists, can participate in its full potential. We believe that this framework must prevent paid-prioritization schemes and be enforceable beyond the term of a single well-intentioned Chairman. Future of Music Coalition is ready to make this case in the new proceeding, and we know that with musicians and other creators on our side, we’ll succeed in keeping the Internet open to everyone.”