“Net Neutrality” refers to the concept of an “open Internet” whereby end-users can access the lawful content, applications, services and devices of their choice. Policymakers around the world are considering whether and how to ensure that the Internet remains “open” and Internet access service providers do not improperly block or degrade content sent over their networks.
"The F.C.C. appears to be attempting to thread a needle. I don’t think we’ll know for a while whether they can succeed.” — Christopher Yoo, Professor, University of Pennsylvania
"The legal vacuum created by the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit threatens the Internet that we know and love. It threatens the start-up economy. It threatens American leadership in the Internet space. That is a huge problem, and we need to fix it." — Barbara van Schewick, Professor, Stanford University
"Network neutrality proponents seem to be assuming that the proposed standard would be tantamount to non-regulation. I’m not sure broadband providers regard the new rules as a green light for doing whatever they want." — Christopher Yoo, Professor, University of Pennsylvania
"We take it for granted that bloggers, start-ups, or nonprofits on an open Internet reach their audiences roughly the same way as everyone else. Now they won’t. They’ll be behind in the queue, watching as companies that can pay tolls to the cable companies speed ahead." — Tim Wu, Professor, Columbia University
“Phone and cable companies should be careful what they wish for because this could all blow up in their face. Verizon and Comcast could end up facing serious demands for money. It could be that Google will say to the telcos, ‘Actually, if you want your customers to be able to reach Google, I’m afraid you’re going to pay us.’” — Tim Wu, Professor, Columbia Law School
Denying that the FCC's open Internet order reflects common carriage regulation isn't likely to be a winning strategy, said Tim Wu, the Columbia University law professor who first coined the term "net neutrality." That's because the very notion of non-discrimination is central to common carriage, an idea that itself dates back to medieval times.
“It’s just a completely different world” if Internet providers are able to throttle traffic to certain websites and services, such as Netflix, Skype and YouTube, said Columbia law professor Tim Wu, who coined the phrase “network neutrality.”
"It takes the Internet into completely uncharted territory." — Tim Wu, Professor of Law, Columbia University
"It [the appeals court decision] leaves the Internet in completely uncharted territory. There's never been a situation where providers can block whatever they want. For example, it means AT&T can block people from reaching T-Mobile's customer service site if it wanted. They can do whatever they want." — Tim Wu, Professor of Law, Columbia University
"The net-neutrality rules now in place reinforce the Internet’s original design principle: that all traffic is carried equally and without any special charges beyond those of transmission. Among other things, the rules are a pricing truce for the Internet; without them, we can expect a fight that will serve no one’s interests and will ultimately stick consumers with Internet bills that rise with the same speed as cable television’s." — Tim Wu, Law professor, Columbia University
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Stanford law professor Barbara van Schewick explains why AT&T’s decision to suspend its sponsored data program is a “win for an open and free internet.”
March 26, 2021
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Given the significance of the Internet, preserving its “openness” – an idea often referred to as “network neutrality” or “net neutrality” – has been a long-standing issue.
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Measures the degree of ideological segregation in the market for online news and compares this to other news sources.
October 31, 2011
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