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On Thursday the Obama-era “net neutrality” rules were repealed by The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) repealed, giving internet service providers like Verizon, Comcast and AT&T a free hand to slow or block websites and apps as they see fit or charge more for faster speeds.

The Republican-controlled FCC threw out the longtime principle in a vote of 3-2, the law that said all web traffic must be treated equally. The big telecommunications companies had lobbied hard to overturn the rules, contending they are heavy-handed and discourage investment in broadband networks.

The push to eliminate net neutrality has stirred fears among consumer advocates, Democrats, many web companies and ordinary Americans afraid that the cable and phone giants will be able to control what people see and do online. Many expect AT&T and Verizon to be the biggest beneficiaries of this change because the two internet giants can now give priority to the movies, TV shows and other videos or music they provide to viewers.

That could hurt rivals such as Sling TV, Amazon, YouTube or startups yet to be born.  However the broadband industry has promised the public that the internet experience for the public isn’t going to change.

However the FCC vote is unlikely to be the last word because net neutrality supporters have threatened legal challenges, with New York’s attorney general vowing to lead a multi-state lawsuit. Some Democrats even want to overturn the FCC action in Congress.

The FCC subscribed to the principle of net neutrality for over a decade and enshrined it in rules adopted in 2015.  Such things have happened before. For example, in 2007 The Associated Press found that Comcast was blocking or throttling some file-sharing, as well as AT&T blocking Skype and other internet calling services on the iPhone until 2009.

Thursday’s rule change also eliminates certain federal consumer protections, bars state laws that contradict the FCC’s approach, and largely transfers oversight of internet service to another agency altogether, the Federal Trade Commission.

Internet companies such as Google, Twitter and Facebook have strongly backed net neutrality.  Netflix even said in a tweet it is “disappointed in the decision to gut #NetNeutrality protections that ushered in an unprecedented era of innovation, creativity & civic engagement. This is the beginning of a longer legal battle.”

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