Digital rights and other progressive groups on Thursday praised President Joe Biden’s decision by Democratic Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel to lead the Federal Communications Commission into a new era of consumer advocacy after four years in corporate custody of former President Ajit Pai .
“In the face of the pandemic, the economic crisis and the urgent need for racial justice, we need equitable access to reliable communication tools and accurate news and information. “
—Jessica J. González,
Free press
The appointment of Biden de Rosenworcel as acting FCC president after eight years of commissioned service in the Obama administration. During his tenure, he proved to be a reliable advocate of increasing Internet access for underserved populations, net neutrality, and treating the Internet as a public utility and a staunch opponent of consolidation. corporate.
Rosenworcel’s positions often contrasted with those of Pai, who was appointed president of the FCC by former President Donald Trump in January 2017 and led the revocation of net neutrality, the approval of the T-megafusion. Mobile-Sprint, for which he was charged. of betraying the public interest in the service of large corporations and other controversial controversies.
Evan Greer, deputy director of the digital rights group Fight for the Future, fired Pai in November, predicting that “he will go down in history as one of the most corrupt government officials of the century.”
“Their harsh attack on net neutrality and the blatant manipulation of the big telecommunications monopolies provoked the most supportive online reaction of the modern era,” Greer said. “As he disappears into the background, his attitude and Reese’s giant mug will become precautionary memes, reminding internet users what happens when we don’t hold our government accountable.”
Fight for the Future, on the other hand, welcomed the news of Rosenworcel’s appointment, while urging Biden to “appoint another champion of net neutrality … so that the FCC can return to work ensuring affordable access on the Internet in the middle of a pandemic. “
Great. Now we need Biden to propose another #neutrality champion and the Senate will move quickly to confirm them, so the FCC can get back to work ensuring affordable open Internet access in the midst of a pandemic. https://t.co/PyiiuEhc0n
– Fight for the future (@fightfortheftr) January 21, 2021
Michael Copps, a former FCC commissioner and current special adviser to the non-partisan government reform group Common Cause, called Rosenworcel “ideal for the job.”
“I know, because we worked together when she ran my staff while I was commissioner,” Copps said in a statement.
Added:
Get to know the FCC from the bottom up and understand how to make good things happen there. She … has demonstrated a mastery of subjects that has rarely been matched. Whether bringing broadband to every home in the United States, encouraging the availability of the Internet for our schools, making wise decisions about the use of the spectrum, answering the monopolies of telecommunications and media [or] fighting against misinformation and misinformation, she has a combination of vision and practicality that make her perfect for the presidency. She is a true defender of the public interest.
Jessica J. González, co-director general of the Democratic press group Free Press, also welcomed Rosenworcel’s appointment in a statement. It read, in part:
In the face of the pandemic, the economic crisis and the urgent need for racial justice, we need equitable access to reliable communication tools and accurate news and information. We look forward to working with Acting President Rosenworcel to reinstate the commission’s Title II authority under the communications law and open up opportunities to put an end to the digital divide once and for all, ensure reliable Internet access and restore non-discrimination policies. such as net neutrality.
We also hope to work closely on efforts to expand ownership and diversity of views in the broadcasting sector and ensure that broadcasters serve the public interest.
In a statement, Rosenworcel said she was “honored” to have been chosen to lead the FCC and would work to “expand the reach of communication opportunities in the digital age.”
Today @POTUS he appointed me acting president of the @FCC. I am honored and excited to lead this great agency. Now more than ever we need to expand the scope of communication opportunities for all of us. We have a lot of work to do and I can’t wait to get started.
– Jessica Rosenworcel (@JRosenworcel) January 21, 2021
While Democrats – who now control the White House and both branches of Congress – intend to restore net neutrality, expand broadband subsidies and pursue other popular policies, Rosenworcel is likely to face serious challenges until that Biden appoint a third Democrat to the commission and they are confirmed by the Senate. It is not clear when this will happen; nor is it known whether Rosenworcel will continue to be president of the FCC on a permanent basis.