FTC staff backs net neutrality rollback

The staff of the Federal Trade Commission filed an official comment to the Federal Communications Commission in favor of Chairman Ajit Pai’s plan to scrap network neutrality regulations. In their filing, staff at the agency said that they favor Chairman Pai’s “Restoring Internet Freedom” plan, which would give regulatory authority over broadband providers back to the FTC. Under the Open Internet Order approved in 2015, the FCC currently has the jurisdiction to regulate broadband providers instead of the FTC.

The FTC is currently split with one Democrat, Commissioner Terrell McSweeny, and one Republican, acting Director Maureen Ohlhausen. In their joint comment, FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, Bureau of Competition and Bureau of Economics argued that, prior to the Open Internet Order, when the FTC still regulated broadband providers it “consistently protected broadband consumers from unfair and deceptive practices, including in the privacy and data security area.”