Obama: We will support a free and open Internet

On Sept 23, President Barack Obama addressed the United Nations General Assembly. He said, "Civil society is the conscience of our communities and America will always extend our engagement abroad with citizens beyond the halls of government. And we will call out those who suppress ideas and serve as a voice for those who are voiceless. We will promote new tools of communication so people are empowered to connect with one another and, in repressive societies, to do so with security. We will support a free and open Internet, so individuals have the information to make up their own minds. And it is time to embrace and effectively monitor norms that advance the rights of civil society and guarantee its expansion within and across borders."

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski, said "I commend President Obama for his strong statement before the United Nations General Assembly that communications networks can and must play a vital role in advancing economic development, freedom, and human dignity around the globe. It is essential that we preserve the open Internet and stand firmly behind the right of all people to connect with one another and to exchange ideas freely and without fear."

FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell raised concerns about the reaction of the international community in his statement on the same net neutrality order, saying he had talked with international regulators who were "waiting for the U.S. to assert more government authority over the Internet to help justify an increased state role over Internet management internationally." He said that the FCC needed to be careful of unintended consequences and not inadvertently [set] a precedent for some foreign governments with less pure motives to use in justifying stricter Internet regulation."