WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall released the following statement after Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai announced plans to roll back FCC rules protecting net neutrality:
“First, President Trump and Republicans in Congress repealed rules to prevent Internet Service Providers from selling your private web browsing history without your consent. And now, President Trump and his choice for chairman of the FCC are planning to allow ISPs to create internet ‘toll lanes,’ imperiling the free and open internet.
“The internet should be free and open to all New Mexicans and all Americans. Allowing ‘toll lanes’ is yet another move by some Republicans to empower big businesses at the expense of ordinary people. Chairman Pai’s plan will make it harder for entrepreneurs to compete on a level playing field with established companies, and will undermine the internet’s platform as a catalyst for free expression and innovation. This rule change could clear the way for censorship online – a particularly concerning implication given Chairman Pai’s refusal to stand up for press freedom and his unwillingness to condemn the president’s attacks on the First Amendment.
“Too many New Mexicans, especially in rural areas, are already stuck in an internet slow lane. Instead of rolling back critical measures that protect internet openness, we should be working in a bipartisan way to expand high-speed broadband access to every New Mexican and every American."
