With the Federal Communications Commission set to gut Net Neutrality and allow ISPs to slow down traffic from services that don't pay them bribes, the Electronic Frontier Foundation has published a timely, important guide to participating in FCC proceedings. The upcoming Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is just one way to participate — there's also a mass-protest planned at the FCC building in DC on May 15 (this Thursday!) at 9AM.
How does FCC rulemaking work?
When the FCC makes new rules, the agency goes through a series of steps to craft policies that are in the best interest of the public. Let's break it down:
1. First, the FCC issues a proposal for what the potential rules might looks like. That proposal is called a "Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" (NPRM).
2. Almost immediately after the NPRM is released, the FCC opens a window to solicit public comment on how the proposal will effect Americans.
3. This is where you come in. The FCC wants to hear from you. On May 15th, EFF will launch our public comment tool to help you submit your thoughts directly to the FCC.
These comments are a matter of public record. That means that once you submit a comment, it lands on the FCC's public docket, and anyone can see it.
Prepare to Take Action to Defend Net Neutrality. Here's How the FCC Makes Its Rules.
(Image: Net Neutrality News Tag Cloud, Sean Weigold Ferguson, CC-BY-SA)
