In a statement issued Wednesday, the Writers Guild of America, West blasted plans by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai too undo pro-net neutrality rules intended to ensure that internet content is treated equally by service providers.
Saying that it “strongly objects” to what it called a plan to “surrender control of the Internet to a handful of corporations,” WGAW said that Net neutrality rules “are supported by millions of Americans and have been upheld in court.”
The guild also offered a full-throated defense of net neutrality regulations. “They have protected the Internet from anticompetitive actions by Internet service providers,” and have “allowed more independent and diverse programming to flourish,” said WGAW. “Providing new creative and economic opportunities for writers and choices for consumers.”
The full details on the proposed rules will be made public on April 27. After the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is presented on May 18, there will be a 60-day public comment period, followed by a 30-day reply period before the rules can be enacted.
Read the WGAW’s full statement below:
“The Writers Guild of America, West strongly objects to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai’s decision to undermine the FCC’s Open Internet Rules and surrender control of the Internet to a handful of corporations. The current rules, which reclassified broadband under Title II of the Communications Act, are supported by millions of Americans and have been upheld in court. They have protected the Internet from anticompetitive actions by Internet service providers. These rules have allowed more independent and diverse programming to flourish, providing new creative and economic opportunities for writers and choices for consumers. As content creators and free speech advocates, we stand by the rules because they provide the best protection for the free and open Internet.”