Senate Democrats plan to force a Wednesday vote under the Congressional Review Act that aims to reinstate so-called “net neutrality” rules that were rolled back in late 2017. Given the immense backlash from Democrats following the FCC’s decision to repeal the Obama-era rules late last year, the attempt is not surprising. It is however frustrating, as the move will further institutionalize Silicon Valley titans’ control over our Internet.
When “net neutrality” rules were put into place in 2015, the Obama administration collaborated closely with Silicon Valley giants Google, Facebook, and Twitter to craft policy that would leave them unaccountable for their actions. Under the guise of a free and open Internet, these giants created an environment that would do just the opposite: leave them free to control content and user data on their platforms. As these platforms’ importance as the new “town squares” for sharing opinions and connecting with friends and family has grown, so has their increasingly reckless use of user data and censorship of opinions. That is not only startling, but raises serious concerns about allowing them to operate unchecked.
[Also read: Senate Democrats will force net neutrality vote on Wednesday]
For years, Facebook and Google promised us that they would protect our personal information. As location-sharing became mainstream, and people became more comfortable sharing photos of their families on Facebook, these Silicon Valley titans increasingly assured us that our information was safe.
Well, if recent events are any indication, those were lies. Boldface lies. Remember when Mark Zuckerberg promised that Facebook would never give your data away without your consent? That didn’t last very long. With the Cambridge Analytica scandal still fresh in people’s minds, Congress has finally begun to take notice of this problem. But now, for incomprehensible reasons, Democrats want to give Silicon Valley giants even more room to abuse their billions of users.
In addition to examples of user data abuse, more and more instances of censorship of conservative voices on Silicon Valley platforms have come to light in recent months. It is no secret that Google and Facebook have a leftist political bent – James Damore very clearly exposed this at Google, and Zuckerberg is an outspoken supporter of liberal causes.
But with the rising importance of these platforms in sharing ideas and discussing important political topics, it is more crucial than ever that the playing field is level. Facebook recently found itself in hot water for allegedly censoring conservative pundits Diamond & Silk, who are now demanding an in-person meeting with Zuckerberg. And last month, the company pulled advertisements for a Catholic college because they included a crucifix. These mounting examples only underscore that allowing the Googles and Facebooks of the world to be exempted from any obligation to protect consumers online is a serious mistake.
A vote in favor of this CRA is a vote in favor of allowing this abuse to continue. It is a vote in favor of permitting Facebook and Google to continue blocking and censoring content, stealing our personal information, and selling it to advertisers and politicians. We need Congress to pass real consumer internet protection legislation that ensures that Facebook and Google, or any other company, cannot block and censor content, exempt themselves from consumer protections, and abuse or manipulate user data. And that legislation is not any bill that reinstates net neutrality.
Christie-Lee McNally is executive director of Free Our Internet.
