The President: Hi everybody.
Ever since the
internet was created,
it's been organized
around basic principles
of openness, fairness,
and freedom.
There are no gatekeepers
deciding which sites
you get to access.
There are no toll roads on
the information superhighway.
This set of principles,
the idea of net neutrality,
has unleashed the
power of the internet,
and given innovators
the chance to thrive.
Abandoning these
principles would threaten
to end the internet
as we know it.
That's why I'm
laying out a plan
to keep the internet
free and open.
And that's why I'm urging
the Federal Communications Commission
to do everything they can to protect
net neutrality for everyone.
They should make it clear that whether you use a computer,
phone or tablet, internet providers have a legal
obligation not to block or limit your access to a website.
Cable companies can't decide which online stores
you can shop at, or which streaming services
you can use.
And they can't let any company pay for priority
over its competitors.
To put these protections in place,
I'm asking the FCC to reclassify internet service under
Title II of a law known as the Telecommunications Act.
In plain English, I'm asking them to recognize that for most
Americans, the internet has become an essential part
of everyday communication and everyday life.
The FCC is an independent agency,
and ultimately this decision is theirs alone.
But the public has already commented nearly
four million times, asking the FCC to make sure
that consumers, not the cable company, gets to decide
which sites they use.
Americans are making their voices heard,
and standing up for the principles that make
the internet a powerful force for change.
As long as I'm president, that's what
I'll be fighting for, too.