Sen Al Franken accuses AT&T of ‘skirting’ net neutrality rules

One of the most vocal skeptics of industry consolidation, Sen Al Franken (D-MN) hasn't pulled any punches when it comes to the proposed merger between Comcast and Time Warner Cable -- a deal that would give Comcast control over roughly 30 percent of the pay-TV market. Now, the lawmaker is setting his sights on another major deal: AT&T's proposal to acquire DirecTV.

In a letter to federal regulators, Sen Franken warns that letting the deal go through could turn AT&T into a gatekeeper to the mobile Internet. Sen Franken also complains that AT&T took inappropriate steps to block Internet applications like Google Voice and Skype. "AT&T has a history of skirting the spirit, and perhaps the letter" of the government's rules on network neutrality, Sen Franken wrote.