The motion to get the FCC to bring back net neutrality simply gained some major traction. It also asked the agency to think about limiting early termination charges and prevent internet service companies from making deals with property managers that limit tenant options. The order called for guidelines around greater transparency and disclosure over cancellation, modification and baggage fees, as well as better standards on when a company need to release refunds over postponed baggage or non-working services (like in-flight WiFi or home entertainment).
After the order is signed later today, the administration will have plenty of work to do to get these efforts moving.
The motion to get the FCC to restore net neutrality just gained some serious traction. The White House just announced that president Joe Biden will be signing a new executive order today that will develop a “whole-of-government effort to promote competitors in the American economy.” To put it simply, its targeting anticompetitive practices throughout a wide variety of industries, including internet services and tech..
The order includes 72 actions and proposals, amongst which it specifically states “the President encourages the FCC to bring back Net Neutrality rules undone by the previous administration.” It also asked the company to consider restricting early termination charges and avoid web service companies from making handle landlords that restrict occupant options. In addition, it advised the FCC to revive the Broadband Nutrition Label that was developed under the Obama administration that would use higher cost openness.
The order also looked at how “dominant tech firms are weakening competitors and decreasing innovation,” and announced an administration policy of greater scrutiny of mergers. It would concentrate on “dominant web platforms,” particularly around “the acquisition of nascent competitors, serial mergers, the build-up of data, competitors by “totally free” items, and the result on user privacy.”.
As part of its crackdown on Big Tech, the order gotten in touch with the Federal Trade Commission to “develop guidelines on monitoring and the accumulation of data,” in addition to prohibiting “unjust approaches of competitors on internet markets” and “anticompetitive limitations on using independent repair work shops or doing DIY repairs of your own devices and devices.”.
In other markets, like banking and personal finance, the order similarly requested for more robust examination of mergers. It likewise prompted the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to “issue rules permitting clients to download their banking data and take it with them.”.
Comparable notions of rate openness, customer rights, increased scrutiny of mergers and avoidance of excessive charges were prevalent throughout the other industries covered. Under agriculture, for example, the order also highlighted the requirement to provide consumers the right to fix their tractors and devices..
Propositions for the healthcare sector include enabling hearing aids to be sold nonprescription, supporting cost transparency rules, avoiding surprise health center billing and standardizing strategy choices in the National Health Insurance Marketplace for much easier contrast shopping. In the transport area, airlines were the focus of the ideas. The order called for rules around higher openness and disclosure over modification, cancellation and luggage fees, in addition to much better guidelines on when a business must issue refunds over postponed luggage or non-working services (like in-flight WiFi or home entertainment).
After the order is signed later today, the administration will have plenty of work to do to get these initiatives moving. Some of our stories consist of affiliate links.