SXSWorld
Issue link: https://sxsw.uberflip.com/i/81866
Al Franken: Ready For the Long Haul in Net Neutrality Fight by Bill Simmon by their commitment to certain issues. For example, think of the late Senator Edward Kennedy's relationship to health care reform. Al Franken, the junior senator from O Minnesota, seems to have chosen Internet policy generally, and net neutrality specifi cally, as his pet issue. Franken has been an outspoken pro- ponent of and has co-sponsored legislation that he hopes will prohibit unreason- able discrimination against Internet content, applications, services and service providers. Th e bill, which he co-sponsored with Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), is called the Internet Freedom, Broadband Promotion, and Consumer Protection Act. Franken says the bill would allow greater enforcement of net neutrality by the FCC under Title II of the Telecommunications Act. "I think this will be critical to ensuring a free and open Internet," he says. Franken's interest in and commit- ment to Internet issues goes beyond net neutrality. In February, he was appointed the chair of a new Senate Judiciary subcommittee for Privacy, Technology and the Law. Th e subcom- mittee will be charged with overseeing laws governing the collection, pro- tection, use and dissemination of commercial information by the private sector, including the behavior of online advertisers, privacy issues on social net- working sites and other online privacy concerns. Franken's obvious passion for these preserving net neutrality ccasionally in Washington, D.C., individual lawmakers will stake out a particular issue that is important to them and make it their own. Sometimes lawmakers' careers are even defi ned administration, it's probably more important to make the case that you need rules at all," he says. Indeed, there are those on Capitol Hill who would like to see the FCC stripped of its authority to regulate the Internet whatsoever. Rae- Hunter says there is a bill currently circulating that would not only repeal the FCC's Open Internet Order, but would prevent the commission from making any rules around net neutrality in the future. Th e FCC's authority is also being challenged in the courts. Rae-Hunter points to current lawsuits from Verizon and MetroPCS that seek to challenge the FCC's Open Internet Order. "No matter how you feel about the extent and scope of the current rules," he says, "it seems pretty obvious that we need to have something in place to safeguard consumers and allow for continued innovation online." Rae-Hunter thinks the FCC is the Senator Al Franken issues is what is bringing him to SXSW Interactive, where he will give a talk that will likely focus on the struggle to preserve net neutrality. Franken, like other net neutrality proponents, has been critical of the " I want to make sure that the FCC is aggressive in protecting the public interest and ensuring that large corporations don't act in an anti-competitive manner." FCC's recent Open Internet Order, which he says doesn't go far enough to protect consumers. "I want to make sure that the FCC is aggressive in protecting the public interest and ensuring that large corporations don't act in an anti-competitive manner," he says. Casey Rae-Hunter, the Communications Director of the Future appropriate entity to enforce net neu- trality safeguards. "At the end of the day, it comes down to the FCC's ability to issue clear, transparent and enforce- able rules to preserve the Internet as an engine for innovation, creativity and economic growth," he says. He adds that the rules that seem so hotly controversial now, were considered middle-of-the-road not so long ago. He says the basic principles behind the commission's Open Internet Order were fi rst put forth by two prior Republican FCC chairs. "Th e rules aren't doing anything to the Internet," he says, "they're simply preserving what we have so that tomorrow's entrepre- neurs and innovators can have a chance to compete in a free market." Franken agrees. "I believe the of Music Coalition, describes the FCC's net neutrality order as an incremental step rather than sweeping reform. "In the face of House leadership that to wants to scuttle any rules put forth by any part of the 40 SXSW ORLD / M ARCH F ILM- I A 201 1 that the bill he is sponsoring in the Senate would make certain that everyone can access the Internet equally. "I'm in this fi ght for the long haul," says Franken. He adds that he'll also be looking for other ways to protect against media consolidation and to ensure the Internet remains an innovative marketplace of ideas. "I think we've got a tough battle ahead of us, but I'm encouraged by the growing support for this issue." ■ Internet deserves the same protections as your telephone," he says, and adds Al Franken will speak on Monday, March 14 at 9:30am in the Town Lake Ball- room at the Radisson Hotel (111 E. Cesar Chavez St.). JEFF MCEVOY