In attempting to salvage net neutrality after a federal court decision for Verizon who argued that the Federal Communications Commission had erred in its rules banning Internet providers from blocking different types of Internet traffic, the FCC proposed new rules that would allow providers to charge for speedier access. Writing in The Center for Internet and Society blog, Barbara van Schewick, April 25, 2014, says that access fees would dampen innovation and curtail free speech by creating two classes of speakers, “established companies or wealthy individuals” and “those who cannot afford to do so” [pay high fees] – often individuals and groups with unpopular or new viewpoints, like activists and artists.”
The FCC issued a statement on April 24 that said the proposal would not allow providers to “act in a commercially unreasonable manner to harm the Internet,” but left the interpretation of “commercially unreasonable” undefined. (Electronic Frontier Foundation, April 24, 2014, by April Glaser and Corynne McSherry)
In The Washington Post, April 24, 2014, Brian Fung provides a primer for the uninitiated on net neutrality and the proposed changes.