LINCOLN, Neb. – Equal access to the Internet was guaranteed by the FCC two years ago when the regulatory agency passed Obama-backed net neutrality. But will the open Internet rules survive?
President Trump's choice for FCC chairman, Ajit Pai, has called net neutrality a "massive intrusion into the Internet economy," and claims the Internet was already "open and free."
"Net neutrality rules are a solution in search of a problem," he said.
But Marty Newell, who coordinates the Rural Broadband Policy Group, disagrees and says the rules are "a guard against overreach" by corporate interests. He fears without this protection, content from big providers will make it onto the Web's fast lane, pushing other providers to the slow lane.
"'Small folks' are going to have a hard time finding room, they're going to get moved aside, and that doesn't serve consumers well," Newell said. "It also doesn't serve entrepreneurs well."
Newell says it could especially hurt those in rural areas trying to deliver goods or services online. Others doubt it will harm the open internet.
One of them is Fred Campbell, the director of Tech Knowledge, who also teaches spectrum law and policy at the University of Nebraska College of Law. He says any changes to net neutrality will not threaten the open Internet.
"No matter what the current administration does there will still be government oversight in form of anti-trust and not at all unlikely additional oversight by FCC into these issues, it just won't be done in the same way and won't involve the same high level of government interference," explained Campbell.
But Newell counters that the nation's history in treating telephone service as a utility illustrates the importance of regulating common carriers. He says monopolies don't tend to serve consumers well and for that reason, he contends the "simple notion" of an equal information highway must continue.
"All legal content and all users get the same even-handed treatment, and we're not picking winners," Newell added. "Without that rule, corporate interests get to pick the winners."
Nearly four-million public comments helped cement the open Internet rules.
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Wisconsin has announced a big development in trying to establish more digital equity around the state.
Gov. Tony Evers and the Public Service Commission say Wisconsin's blueprint for digital equity has been accepted by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
That means the state is eligible for up to $30 million to implement its approach over the next five years.
Martha Cranley - state director for AARP Wisconsin - called it a robust plan, noting that older populations continue to face challenges in being connected to the digital world.
"We know that at least 15% of people 50-plus in Wisconsin are not connected," said Cranley, "either because the wires simply don't come to their house, or they don't have a device, or they don't know how to use it."
Cranley said the lack of connection is especially concerning in rural areas across northern Wisconsin, where aging communities have limited resources.
Stakeholders also note an infusion of new aid is helpful with the federal government's Affordable Connectivity Program - which provides discounts on monthly internet bills for eligible households - in danger of running out of money.
Cranley said the state's plan came together following extensive public outreach, in which her organization helped convey the need for improved internet access for those 50 and older.
"They certainly heard from older people about how important this is to connect to their doctor," said Cranley, "and to connect to government services, and frankly, find employment."
Overall, Evers says the plan's federal approval means more than 410,000 homes and businesses will be better positioned to be connected to new or improved high-speed internet service.
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A new report found recalls, warnings and penalties for consumer products all increased last year. The recalls led to 550 injuries, 15 deaths and as many as 500 fires stemming from newly recalled products.
Teresa Murray is a consumer watchdog with the Arizona PIRG Education Fund. She said product recalls hit a seven year high last year, with 323 defective product announcements.
She said it is unclear whether the increase means there were more dangerous products on the market or more were caught and recalled.
"Either one is bad," said Murray, "and one of the biggest takeaways for us is the products that get recalled the most should be something that people are certainly aware of. And then, the thing that just frustrates us is the length of time it takes between the time that a company or the CPSC finds out about a problem, and then the time it takes for it to actually get recalled."
Murray said it can take months or even years before a defective product is recalled.
She added that just because something is for sale in a big box store like Target or Walmart, that doesn't automatically mean it is safe. She encouraged consumers to do their research.
Her organization is urging Congress to pass legislation to give the Consumer Product Safety Commission more recall authority without needing to take legal action, especially when a company isn't being responsive.
Murray contends when it comes to keeping you and your family safe, you can't be too careful. She said the CPSC typically announces recalls every Thursday morning, citing about a half-dozen products a week. She suggests looking at the list frequently.
"It takes 20 seconds to scroll down the list because they're all on one page and see whether you recognize any of these products," said Murray. "And even if you do it every weekend or even once a month for goodness sake, it is just something I don't think people are aware of it."
Earlier this year, a group of congressional lawmakers introduced the Consumer Advocacy and Protection Act, which would aim to deter companies from participating in safety violations.
If the CAP Act becomes law, it would also increase fines for violators and discourage them from withholding information about possible product defects.
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Consumer advocates in Oregon are praising recently passed legislation they say changes the landscape on debt collection.
Senate Bill 1595, known as the Family Financial Protection Act, gained approval from lawmakers during this year's short session.
It provides a number of protections for consumers against debt collection practices, including ensuring that collectors don't come after people for debt that isn't theirs or is for the wrong amount.
Executive Director of Oregon Consumer Justice Jagjit Nagra said it also changes the period of time consumers have to file a complaint.
"Originally, it was a one-year statute of limitations - and in many debt collection scenarios that's pretty problematic," said Nagra. "So, if you think about medical billing, it can take a long time for, often, just those bills to be produced and then that clock has already started ticking. So we extended that from one to three years."
The legislation provides other safeguards as well, such as from overwhelming legal fees and more garnishment protections.
Oregon state Rep. Nathan Sosa - D-Hillsboro - said lawmakers heard heartbreaking stories this session about the impact of debt on families.
"Many of the Oregonians who are in debt collection," said Sosa, "are there because of an unexpected medical emergency, or they have suffered from another tragedy - such as the death of a spouse who was the income earner for the family."
Nagra said rural communities in Oregon have the highest share of debt collection in the state.
He also noted that communities of color share a higher burden, with 28% of households in some sort of debt collection, compared with 16% of white households.
"It's an issue that folks are grappling with in the here and now," said Nagra. "So, for us, it was really important to have these fixes advanced because from our purview, quite frankly, they are long overdue."
The bill is awaiting the governor's signature.
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