USTelecom Letter to House and Senate Intelligence Committees on Cybersecurity and Title II

While this is not the first time the Federal Communications Commission has pursued Title II regulation purportedly to address net neutrality, it is the first time the FCC has reached beyond the no blocking, degrading, or prioritizing principles to which broadband providers already adhere. The FCC is veering into the complex realm of cybersecurity and national security via top-down regulation rather than collaborative partnership, a choice many experts view with skepticism. As leaders of the Senate and House Intelligence Committees, we ask you to pay special attention to the FCC’s mission creep into the cybersecurity space as it will lead to confusion and conflicts over which committee and agency has jurisdiction in specific cyber-related matters. This will create legal and regulatory uncertainty, hampering effective national security oversight and cooperation. It could also lead to redundancy and fragmentation of efforts, making it harder to coordinate and implement a cohesive security strategy and respond quickly to emerging threats.