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FCC Reminds ISPs That They Can Be Fined For Lacking Transparency

Posted by Unknown on from the beware-the-$5-fine dept.

An anonymous reader writes The FCC issued a notice on Wednesday reminding ISPs that, according to the still-intact transparency rule of the 2010 Open Internet Order, they are required to be transparent about their services. "The FCC's transparency rule requires that consumers get the information they need to make informed choices about the broadband services they purchase." Applicable scenarios include "poorly worded service offers or inaccurate counts of data against a data cap...[as well as] blocking or slowing certain types of traffic without explaining that to the customer." The transparency rule gives the FCC the power to fine ISPs for non-compliance.

5 of 38 comments (clear)

  1. Transpaerncy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Lots of talk about from that from this Administration , that but it's all very opaque from the President on down.

  2. Why haven't they fined practically every ISP? by timrod · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If this order still stands, why hasn't the FCC fined practically every ISP under this rule? Plenty of ISPs were (and some still are) throttling YouTube, and I don't think I saw a single notice from the ISPs themselves about it. I would think that YouTube counts as a "certain type of traffic" for the purposes of this rule.

  3. Re:Gasp! by jythie · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Keep in mind, this represents the FCC _talking_ like a regulator, not _acting_ like one.

  4. Re: About time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    How about a simple rule that says "The customer gets whatever deal is stated in the largest font as understood by a five year old." That would eliminate almost all marketing BS.

  5. Re:About time by Andrio · · Score: 4, Insightful

    In 2013... ...Verizon had 120.5 billion in revenue, 32 billion in operating income. ...Comcast had 64.7 billion in revenue, 16.6 billion in operating Income. ...AT&T had had 128.8 billion in revenue, 30.5 billion in operating income.

    What does this tell me? That unless the fine is a percentage of their profit (which to my knowledge doesn't happen in the US), internet providers probably aren't too worried about it. In fact, if lack of transparency nets them more profit than they lose by paying the fine, it's only good business to continue breaking the rule.

    --
    The Internet King? I wonder if he could provide faster nudity.