Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker voices support for net neutrality principles

Before a room full of start-up entrepreneurs in Washington (DC), Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker was asked about her department's role in the ongoing debate over network neutrality, or the idea that all online content should be treated the same by Internet service providers.

In response, Secretary Pritzker focused on her support for the ambitions of that proposal rather than on the controversial mechanics of President Obama's approach. "I think that what was really important were the principles that the president put out," said the secretary. "As you know, the president has supported net neutrality since he was a candidate in 2008. And really what we're focused on, and what has been our role, we have had a seat at the table in terms of making sure that these principles were well-articulated, which is really no blocking, no throttling, no paid prioritization, and increased transparency throughout the connectivity that goes into the effectiveness of the Internet."