The rift between tech firms and activists

Big technology companies and their longtime allies on the grassroots left are at odds over how to deal with network neutrality — and the fight is getting nasty.

The companies, especially large ones, while supportive of the net neutrality rules, have been far more open to a legislative compromise to finally end the net neutrality bickering. Many activists, though, are taking a harder line against any movement from the current regulations. That tension has been simmering for months and is boiling over at a crucial point in the lobbying battle. "The public interest community is more skeptical that you can preserve all the protections you want if you move away from the old legal framework," said Gene Kimmelman, who leads Public Knowledge, which doesn't oppose all legislation but doesn't like past proposals. "And then tech companies are probably looking for some version of net neutrality that preserves that principal regardless of whether it's called Title II or something else."