FCC Commissioner Clyburn: “Much rhetoric in [the Open Internet] proceeding is completely divorced from reality.”

[Commentary] One of the most unfortunate aspects of the net neutrality debate is its ability to bring out the worst sides of otherwise good people. Many friendships have been lost to the issue; many good people on both sides of the issue can no longer engage civilly with their counterparts on the other side. This is what came to mind when I saw Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Mignon Clyburn’s “fact sheet” that purports to show how FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has reversed his positions on the Open Internet Order between 2014 and today. Clyburn’s fact sheet is misleading, giving a false impression that the chairman’s views have changed in ways that they have not.

[Hurwitzis an assistant professor at the University of Nebraska College of Law]