ATR Praises FCC’s Notice of Inquiry on Net Neutrality
Will cut through rhetoric and insert much needed facts
Washington, D.C. – Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist today praised the Notice of Inquiry announcement by the Federal Communications Commission on the issue of net neutrality.
Certain sectors of the Online Community have been calling for preemptive legislation to regulate the Internet to keep it “free,” this inquiry will investigate the fears and cut through the fear-mongering and inject some objectivity to the debate.
“The concept of regulating against things that may happen in the future is like taking antibiotics everyday just in case you get the flu,” said Norquist. “There is so much hysteria and so few facts in the net neutrality debate that it’s like campfire ghost stories meant to frighten people, but in no way based in reality. This move by the FCC will bring some reality to the debate and, hopefully, calm the nerves of those who believe the ghost stories.”
Without regulation to do so, the Internet has grown exponentially since its inception, and remains free and open for anyone to access any site. As technology grows, new programs are developed, and online commerce continues to expand, any move by regulators to manipulate or interfere with the natural progression that has brought us to this point is a dangerous maneuver.
“Involving the government in any business is a mistake,” continued Norquist. “Regulators regulate. Just because someone may get what they want in the first round of regulations is no guarantee things will stay that way. Once the government gets their foot in the door anywhere, it’s not too long before they wrestle the rest of their body through and they’re all the way in. At that point it’s nearly impossible to get them out again.”