FCC seeks to undo Obama standards

Chairman says government is ‘micromanaging internet’

The Federal Communications Commission will scrap Obama-era rules designed to make sure internet providers treat all content equally, a move that has been strongly criticized by many of the largest and most notable companies in tech.

“Under my proposal, the federal government will stop micromanaging the Internet,” FCC Chairman Ajit Pai wrote in a statement. “Instead, the FCC would simply require Internet service providers to be transparent about their practices so that consumers can buy the service plan that’s best for them.”

Pai is expected to submit a plan to repeal a number of regulations adopted by the FCC in 2015, including one that classifies the internet as a public utility.

Supporters of net neutrality say the rules would have prevented internet providers like Comcast and Verizon from offering preferential treatment to certain websites or services.

“Consumers have little choice in their ISP, and service providers should not be allowed to use this gatekeeper position at the point of connections to discriminate against websites and apps,” said the Internet Association, a trade group that includes Google, Amazon and Facebook.

Opponents point out that large swaths of the country — including parts of the Bay State — that are only served by one internet provider, make it difficult to simply choose another option.

Pai said his proposal will require ISPs to disclose any arrangements to block or slow down traffic from specific sites. That, he said, combined with consumer protection and antitrust laws, would make rules prohibiting the arrangements unnecessary.