Keep the Internet free for all

When it comes to the internet, the American people have come to a crossroads.

One heavily subsidized and well-organized group is intent on transforming the internet into an arm of the government. Funded by George Soros, the Ford Foundation, and others, this group agitated the Obama-era Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to enact two measures that would turn the internet into an inefficient, government-run utility - similar to your electric company.

Another group, led by the new chairman of the FCC, is intent on keeping the internet operating under a competitive marketplace, where innovation and consumer choice will continue to thrive. They want the internet free from government control.

Recently, the first shots in this battle of ideas was fired.

For close to 20 years, web-users have been protected from fraud and abuse of their privacy by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Their policies, many of which were created during the Clinton presidency, permit the internet to grow and prosper while ensuring violators of the law are prosecuted and fined. It has been a remarkable success story.

Yet, President Barack Obama began unnecessarily tampering with this fruitful system for political purposes. During the waning days of his presidency, Obama's FCC appointees enacted a second wave of regulations on internet providers, implemented under the guise of privacy concerns but in reality creating two sets of rules - one for internet service providers and one for the president's top donors. The FTC protested this unjust move and outlined the damage the new regulations would cause, but their pleas were ignored on a partisan 3-2 vote.

Thankfully, right before the new regulations went into effect, Congress rejected them. Local Congressmen Ryan Costello, Brian Fitzpatrick, and Lloyd Smucker did the right thing by voting against this inequitable FCC mandate, which would have harmed Americans' privacy in the long run. Thanks to their leadership, the FTC and the FCC are now committed to working together to harmonize all internet rules, ensuring that our privacy is protected while allowing the internet to continue to grow and prosper.

Unfortunately, this congressional vote unleashed a flood of misleading headlines and allegations claiming that internet privacy was destroyed. Some members of Congress have been accused to allowing internet providers to sell your web history. That is not the case. Congress merely ensured that existing privacy protections remained in place.

The fight over the FCC's privacy dictates is just a small skirmish in a bigger war over government's rule in controlling the internet, and hence, access to unfiltered information. Over the course of the next few months, voters will be deluged with allegations and accusations over the FCC's previous adoption of "net neutrality."

Net neutrality, adopted by the FCC during the Obama presidency, was the first step in transitioning the internet into a government-run monopoly. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is intent on returning the internet back to its roots, cutting out unnecessary regulations - most of which have been foisted on the American people over the past two years.

Recently, the FCC voted to overturn the net neutrality rules. While the commission was voting, a group of liberal activists were protesting inside with signs demanding the government shut down popular alternative websites like Breitbart and the Drudge Report.

Both sides of the aisle agree that the rules imposed over the past two years have led to a significant decline in internet entrepreneurship. Many of the concerns raised by research studies point directly to the stifling regulatory environment in Washington. Anything Congress, the FCC, and the rest of the Trump administration can do to remove barriers to entrepreneurs staring new and innovative businesses, the better.

Congress did the right thing in standing up to the special interests to oppose a government takeover of the internet. We should all hope that Chairman Pai can quickly move ahead to make certain to keep the internet free for all Americans.

Greg Young is the nationally syndicated host of the radio show Chosen Generation, which airs locally from 4-6pm on WRDW-AM (1630). chosengenradio@mail.com