Tech’s Silicon volley vs. neutrality easing

A lobbying group representing the biggest names in Silicon Valley — including Amazon, Facebook, Google and Netflix — is taking on the FCC.

The Washington, DC-based Internet Association will be joining a lawsuit attacking the Federal Communications Commission’s December vote to deregulate the internet.

The group’s leader, Michael Beckerman, said that the dismantling of net neutrality “defies the will of a bipartisan majority of Americans and fails to preserve a free and open internet.”

The Internet Association will not actually file its own lawsuit. Instead, it will file amicus brief in the suit brought by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and other opponents who have vowed to sue to stop the changes.

The FCC’s new rules, which were championed by President Trump-appointed Chairman Ajit Pai, lift the restrictions that prevented internet providers from speeding up or slowing down specific content.

The dismantling of net neutrality has also raised fears that internet service providers will charge companies like Netflix more for greater bandwidth speeds, and they, in turn, would hike their fees.

It doesn’t appear like Pai plans on defending the vote any time soon. He was initially scheduled to appear at CES in Las Vegas on Jan. 9 to speak and answer questions, but backed out at the last minute.