The organization lately filed a commentary with the FCC calling for “obvious, enforceable open internet protections” focused on the laws of consumer choice, transparency, and competition. Apple got its judgments in just under the News, too: the FCC’s electronic commenting system says the filing, signed by Apple Public Policy VP Cynthia Hogan, was propped on the last day public comments were allotted.
“Our deep admiration for our customers’ safety, privacy, and control over private information extends to our clients’ broadband connectivity choices,” the filing reads. “We work very hard to build great products, and what customers do with those tools is up to them not Apple, and not broadband providers.”
You can browse the full text of Apple’s filing, but broadly talking, the organization is officially against premium fast lanes and broadband internet providers comprising able to “block, throttle, or otherwise segregate against lawful websites and services.” Apple also understands that ISPs “should meaningfully uncover the traffic management and network performance of customer connections,” so that consumers have all the data they need to make reasonable choices about who gets their hard-earned money.
The move is surprising given Apple’s muteness to publicly support the plan in the past, but it doesn’t come entirely out of the blue. At a shareholder’s conference earlier this year, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that while the organization “stays out of politics,” it continues invested in policy, and that “If Net Neutrality grew a top thing, Apple would surely engage in it.” Well, after years of open, industry-wide discussion, it looks like Apple certainly thinks net neutrality is a “big thing.”.
While Apple’s position here is generally in line with what net neutrality advocates have been struggling for, the company gives itself a little wiggle room right at the end of its remarks. Rather than push for the strict order of the internet as a utility under Title II of the Communications Act.
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