Reminder to Republicans: Ending Title II “Net Neutrality” Regulations is the Free Market Position

Ahead of tomorrow’s vote on the Restoring Internet Freedom Order proposed by Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai, FreedomWorks wants to remind Congressional Republicans, including our right-of-center allies: the pro-free-market position is to support the Order. FreedomWorks Director of Policy Patrick Hedger explains:

"Net neutrality advocates have successfully muddied the waters because that’s the only way they can win on this issue. The fact is Title II net neutrality regulations are irreconcilable with free market principles. These vast and intrusive regulations allow the FCC to dictate to private companies how they run their businesses.

“Think of Internet service providers (ISPs) like supermarkets or malls, while websites are the various products and stores within them. Conservatives and libertarians alike would rightfully ridicule the government telling supermarkets which products they have to carry and at what price, or telling malls that all stores must have the same square-footage.

“Not only would such rules be ridiculous, but further imagine if they were passed despite any significant evidence that the supermarkets or malls were hurting anyone at all. Republicans wouldn’t stand for such farcical rules, and thus they should stand with Chairman Pai and his fellow GOP commissioners as they end the logical equivalent in Title II regulation of ISPs."