Network Neutrality -- Can We Trust the FCC Not to Censor the Internet?

[Commentary] The proponents of Network Neutrality have long claimed that the Federal Communications Commission needs to lay down some rules insuring freedom of speech on the Internet. As a songwriter I have a problem wrapping my mind around the concept that the FCC is going out of the censorship business and into the protection of free speech.

Wasn't it the FCC that banned Billy Holiday's wonderful recording of "Love for Sale" and Cole Porter's "I Get a Kick Out of You?" The Songwriter's Guild of America is not the only organization that is concerned about the idea of the FCC's protection of free speech on the Internet.The EFF, a strong proponent of Net Neutrality, has also expressed concern: "While we're big fans of net neutrality, we worry that the FCC may want to build its net neutrality regulations on a rotten legal foundation,"Title I 'ancillary authority' which is both discredited and unbounded. As we've said before, if ancillary jurisdiction is enough for net neutrality regulations (something we might like) today, the FCC could just as easily invoke it tomorrow for any other Internet regulation that the commission dreams up (including things we won't like, like decency rules and copyright filtering)."

If other strong Net Neutrality supporters like the Electronic Frontier Foundation realize that FCC regulation might very well have a negative effect on freedom of expression on the Internet, one would hope that a group calling itself 'Free Press' would share those same concerns.