Netflix Neutrality
Oops, never mind!
While the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was considering how and whether to institute net neutrality rules on Internet service providers last year, the streaming video company Netflix was urging it on. As National Journal reported last September, the company expected the rule both to "protect its profits" and to garner "goodwill from Web activists and liberals."
So when the FCC officially passed its package of net neutrality rules—including a major overhaul of the way broadband Internet service is classified, changing it from a lightly regulated Title I information service to a more heavily regulated Title II telecommunications service—you might have expected Netflix to be among the first to cheer. Instead, the company signaled its discontent, with CFO David Wells telling fellow industry insiders, "Were we pleased it pushed to Title II? Probably not. We were hoping there might be a non-regulated solution," according to a March report in Variety.
The company quickly clarified that it supported the step overall, even if the reclassification was not its preferred option. Even still, the remark was telling: Net neutrality's biggest corporate cheerleader didn't want to take this route to change.
This article originally appeared in print under the headline "Netflix Neutrality."
Editor's Note: As of February 29, 2024, commenting privileges on reason.com posts are limited to Reason Plus subscribers. Past commenters are grandfathered in for a temporary period. Subscribe here to preserve your ability to comment. Your Reason Plus subscription also gives you an ad-free version of reason.com, along with full access to the digital edition and archives of Reason magazine. We request that comments be civil and on-topic. We do not moderate or assume any responsibility for comments, which are owned by the readers who post them. Comments do not represent the views of reason.com or Reason Foundation. We reserve the right to delete any comment and ban commenters for any reason at any time. Comments may only be edited within 5 minutes of posting. Report abuses.
Please
to post comments
of course not; There was enough room in the Communications Act of 1937 to allow judges to allow ONLY exactly what Netflix Inc and a record setting number of commentators in tyhe FCC 13-86 proceeding wanted.
.
The FCC is not regulating 47 USC ?153 ?(59) "wire communications" like the common carriers for communications these have always been. The FCC keeps these interstate and world-wide "wire communications" disguised as "nternet". This will not be done till 2040 or around then.