Blocked and Reported Episode 293: What Ever Happened To Net Neutrality? Part 1
10 snips
Feb 2, 2026 A two-part revisit of net neutrality’s rise and collapse. They trace early regulatory roots from the 1934 Communications Act to the 1996 deregulatory shift. The conversation covers major fights like Comcast throttling, Verizon v. FCC, the 2010 Open Internet Order, and the role of online organizing. They unpack John Oliver’s viral intervention and why reclassifying broadband became a central battleground.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Regulatory Classification Is The Core Issue
- Net neutrality centers on whether ISPs should be regulated as common carriers like phone utilities.
- Reclassification dictates whether the FCC can legally enforce equal treatment of internet traffic.
1996 Law Favored Market Over Regulation
- The Telecommunications Act of 1996 shifted policy toward light regulation and private-sector leadership.
- That choice spurred U.S. internet innovation but created long-term trade-offs around corporate power and consumer harms.
File‑Sharing Era Triggered ISP Throttling
- Katie recalls major file-sharing eras like Napster, LimeWire, and BitTorrent to show user practices that strained networks.
- She notes Comcast began secretly throttling BitTorrent traffic around 2005, sparking activist complaints.
