Citizens United and the Urgent Case For an Open Internet

[Commentary] In the wake of Citizens United, preserving an open, neutral Internet may be our best hope for counterbalancing the deluge of corporate money that will now influence elections.

With low barriers to entry, an open Internet can enable all sorts of political speech -- it can provide room for lively political debate, help individuals connect and mobilize around causes, and allow small donors to aggregate their funds. But phone and cable companies, emboldened by the blowout corporate victory in the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, are saying that the landmark case confirms that Net Neutrality -- the rule that says phone and cable companies can't block your e-mails or slow down your favorite Websites -- violates their First Amendment rights. In the words of Michael Wendy, formerly with the US Telecom Association, the Supreme Court's ruling should "put the FCC on guard."

[Aparna Sridhar is a Media Policy Attorney at Free Press]