Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin is taking action against Comcast for illegally violating Net Neutrality, after a coalition of Net users and activists caught the cable giant blocking open access to the Internet.Martin told the Associated Press last night that Comcast had “arbitrarily” blocked Internet access and failed to disclose to consumers what it was doing. “We found that Comcast’s actions in this instance violated our principles.”
The move is the agency’s response to a complaint filed by Free Press and members of SavetheInternet.com, which called for severe action against Comcast for jamming people using popular “file-sharing” applications. But the story goes back further than that.
Organized People Beat Organized Money
Martin’s action — to be voted on by the full FCC in three weeks – would be a major milestone for the growing open Internet movement, marking another defeat of entrenched corporate interests in Washington and a stunning victory for ordinary people who want to control their Internet experience.
If adopted by the FCC, Martin’s order could set an historic precedent for protecting the future of the open Internet. Against every ounce of conventional wisdom in Washington, everyday citizens and consumer advocates have taken on a major corporation and won a major victory.
The decision follows nearly a year of organizing and action by a growing alliance of bloggers, Internet innovators, consumer groups, organizations from across the political spectrum, and Net activists from all walks of life.
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