Net Neutrality, Right to Repair Among Biden Tech Items in EO
There are many broadband and tech provisions in President Joe Biden's executive order on promoting competition, with suggestions for the FCC and FTC, per a White House fact sheet. Among them are net neutrality, broadband billing, and a right for consumers to get their tech devices repaired by third parties.
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Among the items:
"Save Americans money on their internet bills by banning excessive early termination fees, requiring clear disclosure of plan costs to facilitate comparison shopping, and ending landlord exclusivity arrangements that stick tenants with only a single internet option." Biden "encourages the FCC to prevent ISPs from making deals with landlords that limit tenants’ choices."
"Make it easier and cheaper to repair items you own by limiting manufacturers from barring self-repairs or third-party repairs of their products."
Noting a past FCC effort, the EO suggests the FCC "revive the 'Broadband Nutrition Label' and require providers to report prices and subscription rates to the FCC."
Biden "encourages the FCC to Restore Net Neutrality rules undone by the prior administration."
The EO recommends "the FCC [act] to Limit excessive early termination fees" by ISPs.
The EO also focuses on areas where “dominant tech firms are undermining competition and reducing innovation.” Agencies have failed to block, condition and meaningfully examine some of the hundreds of Big Tech acquisitions over the past ten years, the White House said, including deals meant to kill competition. It calls out Big Tech for “unfairly competing with small businesses” and “gathering too much personal information.” The EO directed DOJ and the FTC to “enforce the antitrust laws vigorously and recognizes that the law allows them to challenge prior bad mergers that past Administrations did not previously challenge.”
The FCC, FTC and many industry groups didn't comment right away Friday morning.