A comment made by a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) staffer at last week’s NCTA 2010 Cable Show is attracting attention of the wrong sort. As the debate surrounding net neutrality, and alleged FCC moves to institute it by the back door, continues, Reason’s Peter Suderman notes that Jennifer Schneider, a legal adviser to FCC Commissioner Michael Copps, let slip last week a remark that her boss “would love to have jurisdiction over everything.”
The slip was followed by laughter and so arguably connoted an attempt at political humor. However, some involved in the battle over net neutrality agree that it could also be fairly seen as a “Kinsley gaffe,” in which the speaker accidentally tells the truth. According to observers, Copps is a major proponent of net neutrality regulation, and indeed, even additional “clean-up” remarks made by Schneider suggest that he sees Internet regulation as an eventuality. Per Schneider, “… if/when things move along and there are issues, which I can’t imagine happening anytime soon, someone will have to step in and I guess we’ll have to wait and see if [it’s] the FCC or some other agency or who knows…”
Schneider’s comments are likely to add to the concern already felt by opponents of net neutrality, which include Internet Service Providers, one prominent union, minority and civil rights groups, and elected Democrats at both the state and federal level.
Said one source with whom Capitol Confidential spoke, “Schneider may have laughed off what she said, but for those of us who see her comment as completely indicative of net neutrality proponents’ mindset, including that of her boss, it’s extremely worrying. Internet regulation is no laughing matter when you consider the very adverse implications it could have for actual Internet users.”