Which rules are those? I've never seen "net neutrality" rules that would have the effect you state.
You haven't bothered to read them, then. Go have a gander at the full document. Since it's 107 pages long, and you're too lazy to read and try to understand it yourself, I'll provide a few excerpts. But first, let's check out the difference between "Lawful" and "Legal": There is a pretty good explanation here, but you should research it yourself. Basically, "unlawful" is MUCH broader than "illegal"
All emphasis from the FCC rules excerpts below is mine.
To encourage broadband deployment and preserve and promote the open and interconnected nature of the public Internet, consumers are entitled to access the lawful Internet content of their choice.
The nondiscrimination principle would prohibit broadband Internet access service providers from favoring or disfavoring lawful content, applications, or services accessed by their subscribers, but would allow broadband providers to engage in reasonable network management.
Note in the above, we are now addressing not just whether content is lawful, but even services and applications being used or accessed.
The draft rules would not prohibit broadband Internet access service providers from taking reasonable action to prevent the transfer of unlawful content, such as the unlawful distribution of copyrighted works.
Now a broader definition of copyright infringement is being implemented - not just "illegal" infringement, but any distribution not explicitly allowed is subject to "reasonable action" by ISPs.
The Commission determined that consumers are entitled to:
access the lawful Internet content of their choice[;] . . . run applications and use services of their choice, subject to the needs of law enforcement[;] . . . connect their choice of legal devices that do not harm the network[; and] . . . competition among network providers, application and service providers, and content providers.
Here, again, we see that what the FCC wants to ensure is that "consumers" can "access" content that they consider lawful. How far can we go? What if we need to ensure what content is "lawful" by ensuring that anyone, say, running a server, writing a blog, etc., has a valid license from the FCC to do so. Want a domain name from ICANN? What will you be using it for? Do you have a journalism license? Is your content lawful?
we propose that all the principles be subject to the needs of law enforcement, as well as public safety, and national and homeland security, by proposing separate draft rules on these topics. As explained in more detail below, we intend to leave sufficient flexibility in all our rules to allow broadband Internet access service providers to address law enforcement, public safety, and national and homeland security needs. Furthermore, we have no intention of protecting unlawful activities in these rules. Therefore, for additional precision, we add the word “lawful” to the proposed second rule to make clear that nothing here requires broadband Internet access service providers to allow users to engage in unlawful activities. The addition of the word “lawful” also harmonizes the second proposed rule with the first and third.
The emphasis above is from the original document.
As explained above, rather than extending that common carrier standard to broadband Internet access services, we propose a general nondiscrimination rule subject to reasonable network management and specifically enumerated exceptions (including separate treatment of managed or specialized services). We believe that a bright-line rule against discrimination, subject to reasonable network management and enumerated exceptions, may better fit the unique characteristics of the Internet, which differs from other communications networks in that it was not initially designed to support just one application (like telephone and cable television networks), but rather to allow users at the edge of the network to decide toward which lawful uses to direct the network.
Reasonable network management consists of: (a) reasonable practices employed by a provider of broadband Internet access service to (i) reduce or mitigate the effects of congestion on its network or to address quality-of-service concerns; (ii) address traffic that is unwanted by users or harmful; (iii) prevent the transfer of unlawful content; or (iv) prevent the unlawful transfer of content; and (b) other reasonable network management practices.
I fail to see how ISPs would be doing this without actually examining content. It seems here that it would be required. And just what is meant by "unlawful transfer of content"? It has nothing to do with the content being lawful or not, but it can still be unlawfully transferred?? Do you really think all this stuff is copacetic?
Call me paranoid if you want, but I have reason to be paranoid.
