Republican presidential hopeful Jeb Bush has announced that he will demolish net neutrality, or the present rules that bars Internet Service Providers (ISPs) from favoring some websites over others, if he would be elected president. His statement came on the heels of his latest push to woo cash-rich Silicon Valley.
The repeal of net neutrality rules is part of Bush's policy position outline penned under "The Regulatory Crisis in Washington," which tags the current policy as one of "the most onerous Obama rules and regulations." It was published Tuesday on the candidate's website. The attack on net neutrality formed part of the wider plan to enforce what Bush called as "regulatory reform," which he expects to boost American GDP by three percent over the next 10 years.
In his proposal, Bush will allow ISPs to bill online content providers when accessing their network and subscribers. "Rather than enhancing consumer welfare, these rules prohibit one group of companies (ISPs) from charging another group of companies (content companies) the full cost for using their services," the presidential candidate explained.
The Internet neutrality policy was introduced by the Federal Communications Commission under Chairman Tom Wheeler. The idea is to impose a level playing field by preventing ISPs to slow down some websites in favor of others for a fee, according to The Washington Post.
Bush's presidency will ensure a conservative majority at the FCC on the strength of the presidential appointing authority. This would allow him to overturn existing policies such as those covering net neutrality. Bush also pledged to push for a legislation that would either neuter or overturn the FCC rules as alternative, Ars Technica reported.
