The future of net neutrality following the Senate’s vote

On May 16, the U.S. Senate passed the Net Neutrality Congressional Review Act, representing a formal signal of disapproval of the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) action. The vote comes ahead of a critical date for net neutrality, as on June 11, the FCC will complete the regulatory process, which began with a vote in December 2017, to formally repeal the agency's 2015 Rules.

Christopher Terry, an assistant professor of media ethics and law at the Hubbard School of Journalism & Mass Communication at the University of Minnesota, weighs in on the future of net neutrality.

Christopher Terry
"The Senate's vote on May 16 represents the first step for the Congressional Review Act. The resolution now heads to the House, where passage will be difficult. We can expect to see strong rhetoric and heavy pressure from both sides of the issue as the lower chamber begins debate.

“The FCC's passage of the net neutrality repeal in December 2017 fundamentally affects how consumers access content via the internet. Importantly, because internet service providers (ISPs) are private companies (rather than state actors) there’s no First Amendment right/defense for citizens to access content they choose. This means that ISPs will be allowed to block and throttle content between edge providers and consumers, to a consumer's detriment."

Christopher Terry holds a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Mass Communication with a Law Minor and a M.A. in Mass Communication from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Contact information:
Christopher Terry
[email protected]
262-893-2183 (cell)

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