Former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic Party's presumptive presidential candidate for the November election, may restore net neutrality if he wins.
According to Broadcasting & Cable, Biden recently signaled that he would be in favor of bringing back the set of rules that give the Federal Communications Commission more power to police internet traffic. Included in the rules is a stipulation that internet providers are not allowed to slow or block internet traffic to customers.
FCC chairman Ajit Pai led the governing body's effort to end the rules in June 2018.
Biden's campaign included net neutrality in a batch of policy proposals made public last week.
Biden, if he becomes president, would "block municipalities and rural co-ops from building publicly owned broadband networks" and would also allocate federal money to help pay for broadband services "so children and families can fully participate in school, work, and life from their homes."
"As millions of Americans have stayed at home to prevent the spread of the pandemic, it is plain to see that in the 21st century, the Internet is not optional: It is a vital tool for participating in the economy, and all Americans need access to high-speed, affordable broadband service," the Biden campaign said.
The president has the power to appoint the FCC chairman, so Biden could put someone in the position who would work to restore net neutrality rules.
Pai has said that scrapping net neutrality allows for more competition in the broadband industry, which would ultimately lead to lower prices.
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