The Republican Version of Net Neutrality

The FCC has approved new rules to make the Internet more open. Republicans are countering with alternative net-neutrality legislation, but Democrats worry there's a catch.

Net neutrality, or the idea that all Internet traffic should be treated equally, has been at the center of a heated, largely partisan debate throughout the last decade. Republicans and Internet service providers warn that excessive government regulations will stifle businesses and ultimately mean slower Internet service for everyone. Net-neutrality advocates argue that strong rules are critical for ensuring that Internet providers can't act as gatekeepers, picking and choosing what content people can access online.

On Feb. 26, the Federal Communications Commission approved net-neutrality rules that rely on the agency's strongest legal authority. Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress, led by by Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., and Reps. Fred Upton, R-Mich., and Greg Walden, R-Ore., are working on their own alternative legislation. Their bill includes much of the same pro-net-neutrality language as the FCC's own rules. But how far have the Republicans really shifted?

---

Brendan Sasso contributed to this article