Joe Nocera, an op-ed columnist for The New York Times, says it is necessary to have government-mandated rules to ensure net neutrality. The FCC has finally made the right decision regarding the Internet, he argues. But in a free market with robust competition, you get net neutrality for free, without government intervention.

image

One argument made by opponents of Title II classification is that we essentially have had net neutrality all along, so why does the government need to get involved? “There is no market for paid prioritization,” said Berin Szoka, the president of TechFreedom, which vehemently opposes the reclassification.

 

Under Title II, the FCC will subject Internet service providers (ISPs) to common-carrier regulation. Is this really what most net neutrality advocates want? Probably not, but conflating net neutrality with Title II is a bait-and-switch to convince Americans that we need heavy-handed, government regulation of the Internet.

</>