Senators Call for Tougher Zero-Rating Guidelines by FCC

Seven senators are calling on the FCC to take enforcement steps against "harmful zero-rating offerings that violate the principle of the Open Internet Order." In a letter Friday to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, the seven said zero rating can lead to discrimination against competing services and that "When ISPs, not the consumer, choose online winners and losers, the very core tenets of net neutrality could be disrupted." They said it should be considered a violation of net neutrality for an ISP to zero rate its own or unaffiliated content but not that of a competitor, or for it to charge fees to zero-rate content. They said the agency should closely review the effects of zero-rating plans in which ISPs put technical standards on content providers, which can add to transaction costs. The legislators said that while they may not raise "major Open Internet concerns," plans in which ISPs don't require payment from zero-rated applications or favor specific content distributors should still see FCC review. Senators signing the letter are Ed Markey, D-Mass.; Ron Wyden, D-Ore.; Al Franken, D-Minn.; Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.; Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.; Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.; and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. The agency didn't comment.