Digital group warns internet rules would give Facebook more power

The vote to repeal rules on net neutrality in the US could lead to a similar decision in Europe and the UK, a digital rights group has warned.

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted on Thursday to end rules that prevent internet service providers from choosing to speed up or slow down access to certain websites or apps, charging customers for the services they use.

Service providers would have to disclose if and when they chose to do this, having argued that net neutrality has stifled innovation in their industry.

But Jim Killock from the Open Rights Group said the change could be a threat to internet freedom in the UK.

“If the USA removes protection for net neutrality, Europe will be next,” he said.

“European net neutrality protectionsarealreadyinsufficiently strong and are already being abused by mobile providers selling data packages that favour sites like Facebook over their competitors. Facebook and Google don’t need extra help to dominate the market. The EU and UK need to step up and protect values of openness and competition that [Donald] Trump’s government are busy abandoning.”

Net neutrality is active in British law through the EU’S rules on open internet access, which says there can be no discrimination of online content, with all traffic treated equally.

It has been argued that greater choice and competition in the UK among service providers means it is less of an issue.