FCC WANTS TO KILL NET NEUTRALITY RULES: WHAT OPPONENTS SAY

The new chairman of the FCC, Ajit Pai, has long opposed net neutrality — so he wants to throw the rules out the window.

The Republican, who was nominated as commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission by President Obama and nominated for the chairman position by President Trump, said in a speech in Washington on Wednesday that “the internet is the greatest free-market success story in history,” and that rules only hinder it.

Pai wants to dismantle the hard-fought net neutrality rules put in place in 2015 under the previous administration. The issue prompted millions of Americans to contact the FCC to urge it to protect net neutrality. But Pai claims that the adoption of regulations on net neutrality — the principle that all internet traffic should be treated equally — was a political power grab.

The rules classify broadband providers as common carriers and give the FCC the power to regulate them. Pai and other net neutrality opponents — such as broadband companies — say such regulation discourages investment in internet infrastructure.

“The truth of the matter is that we decided to abandon successful policies solely because of hypothetical harms and hysterical prophecies of doom,” Pai said. “It’s almost as if the special interests pushing Title II weren’t trying to solve a real problem but instead looking for an excuse to achieve their

longstanding goal of forcing the Internet under the federal government’s control.”

Pai said he will release a notice of proposed rulemaking today, which will open up his plan for comment.

At the moment, the FCC has two Republicans, including Pai, and one Democrat, whose term ends in June. A vote on the plan could begin as soon as next month.

Here’s how net neutrality advocates — who argue that killing net neutrality could hurt technological innovation — are reacting to Pai’s push.

Tim Berners-Lee, widely known as father of the World Wide Web, pointed out that internet access in the United States is controlled by only a few big players: “The FCC’s announcements… suggest they want to step back and allow concentrated market players to pick winners and losers online. Their talk is all about getting more people connected, but what is the point if your ISP only lets you watch the movies they choose, just like the old days of cable?”

Google has spoken out in favor of net neutrality in the past but would not comment on Pai’s move to dismantle the rules. A spokeswoman on Thursday referred SiliconBeat to the official statement by the Internet Association, which represents many well-known tech companies, including Netflix, which also has been vocal about its support for net neutrality.

“The internet industry is continuing our efforts to defend the existing rules on the books at the FCC,” Internet Association President and CEO Michael Beckerman said. — Levi Sumagaysay

DRUNK MAN ATTACKS MOUNTAIN VIEW SECURITY ROBOT, POLICE SAY

It’s begun. And the battle of humans against robots has started far sooner than many imagined — right here in Silicon Valley.

“Police arrested a man accused of being drunk and knocking down a robot that was built to prevent crime, near Terra Bella and Linda Vista Avenue in Mountain View,” according to an ABC News report.

Many in the Bay Area are familiar with this brand of security robot, from Mountain View’s Knightscope, after it achieved localized infamy last summer for reportedly knocking down a toddler at the posh Stanford Shopping Center mall.

A Knightscope robot was not far from its maker’s office last week when it crossed paths with an allegedly aggressive hominid.

Police allege that Jason Sylvain, 41, was drunk when he laid out the 5-foot-tall artificially intelligent machine.

“The 300-pound robot named K5 spins and occasionally whistles, so it’s hard to understand why someone would want to knock it down,” ABC News asserted.

Maybe because it looks like a big Weeble?

Unfortunately, the robot did not have a Weeble’s ability to take a hit and not fall down — the device suffered some scratches from hitting the ground.

Sylvain faces prowling and intoxication charges, ABC News reported. None of the allegations against him have been proven. — Ethan Baron

TESLA WORKERS RAISE COMPLAINTS IN U.S., GERMANY

Labor squabbles continue between Tesla workers and the electric vehicle maker.

A group of employees at the company’s Fremont factory filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board claiming they were harassed by supervisors in February for discussing union activities and handling out pamphlets. Tesla denied the charges and said it would address the claims during the NLRB process. The company has said it offers competitive pay and places a high priority on worker safety.

Production workers have complained about company policies curbing their ability to discuss safety and conditions in the workplace. The United Automobile Workers is supporting a campaign at the plant.

Tesla is also engaged with employees at its new German acquisition, Tesla Grohmann Automation. German workers have threatened to strike over wages and job security.

A union official told Reuters that Tesla has offered workers a one-time bonus, along with job guarantees and raises. The official also said the company’s founder and CEO, Klaus Grohmann, unexpectedly announced his retirement on March 31.

The departure could hinder company plans as it readies for mass production of its lower-cost Model 3 electric sedan. — Louis Hansen