The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved a proposed change to net neutrality rules outlined by commission chairman Tom Wheeler. These new rules reclassify the Internet as a Title II public utility, which would effectively prevent Internet service providers (ISPs) from discriminating for or against content providers in the speed at which their content is delivered to the consumer.
Several ISPs, Internet companies, advocacy groups, and trade associations have taken a position on these new rules. The major corporations against these net neutrality rules are the four largest ISPs: Verizon, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and AT&T. Netflix, Twitter, and Facebook are all members of the Internet Association, which has come out strongly in favor of Wheeler’s rules to reclassify the Internet under Title II.
The House Communications and Technology Subcommittee, which oversees the FCC, held a hearing to discuss the FCC’s proposed net neutrality regulations on Wednesday, Feb. 25.
Stock Ownership by Members of the House Communications and Technology Subcommittee
As of 2013, five of the 31 members of the subcommittee own stock in the companies listed above: Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX), Rep. Leonard Lance (R-NJ), Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY), and Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ). Click here if chart is not visible.
- The five members own between $99,015 and $435,000 of stock in Internet providers. No members on the subcommittee reported owning stock in Netflix, Facebook, or Twitter.
