Congress was right to save consumers from privacy rules imposed under net neutrality

[Commentary] Consumer privacy has been the biggest loser from network neutrality proponents’ politicization of privacy. Congress was right to rescind the Title II broadband privacy order passed by the Federal Communications Commission in October. The order took a nonpartisan public policy issue substantively unrelated to net neutrality, consumer privacy, and unnecessarily turning it into a partisan issue. Essentially, the House and Senate’s rescissions of the unimplemented rules restored the privacy status quo. It also creates the opportunity to free consumer privacy interests from the unproductive clutches of the Title II net neutrality or nothing, hyper-politicization of communications issues, going forward.

[Scott Cleland is president of Precursor LLC and Chairman of NetCompetition, a pro-competition e-forum supported by broadband interests]