The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris is pushing for stricter regulations on internet access. The administration aims to treat the web as a regulated utility or “common carrier,” despite over 90% of Americans already enjoying high-speed internet through the competitive efforts of private companies. The FCC’s regulatory ambitions have faced setbacks.
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals halted the agency’s attempt to impose stringent regulations on internet access, deeming it an illegal power grab. The Biden-Harris administration’s infrastructure bill, which allocated $42 billion to improve internet access, has reportedly failed to connect any households three years after implementation. Brendan Carr, a former senior Republican commissioner of the FCC, criticized the agency, noting that no projects are expected to start until at least 2025.
Concerns have also been raised about content censorship.
Fcc’s internet regulation challenges
Meta/Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg revealed in a letter to the House Judiciary Committee that the Biden administration had pressured the company to censor COVID-19 content.
This incident, particularly Biden’s July 2021 declaration against social media platforms for allowing vaccine misinformation, has raised severe First Amendment violation concerns. Critics argue that federal government intervention in internet and digital service issues hinders progress toward universal access and the free flow of information. There is growing bipartisan sentiment supporting a regulation-free web.
Stephen Moore, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation and co-founder of Unleash Prosperity, emphasizes this viewpoint. He urges both sides of the political spectrum to recognize the threats to freedom posed by potential internet regulations and advocate for a regulation-free web. The views expressed by Stephen Moore are his own and do not reflect an institutional position for The Heritage Foundation or its board of trustees.
