FCC vote weakens Obama-era net neutrality regulations

The Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday to expand a transparency exemption to small internet service providers with up to 250,000 subscribers, a blow to the Obama administration’s “net neutrality” regulations.

The 2-1 vote along party lines protects these ISPs from what FCC Chairman Ajit Pai called “needless regulation” of publicly disclosing promotional rates, fees or data caps for the next five years. It follows an exemption for ISPs 100,000 subscribers that expired at the end of last year.