Obama Backs Net Neutrality

President Obama “put the full weight of his administration behind an open and free Internet, calling for a strict policy of so-called net neutrality and formally opposing deals in which content providers like Netflix would pay huge sums to broadband companies for faster access to their customers,” the New York Times reports.

“The president’s proposal is consistent with his longstanding support for rules that seek to prevent cable and telephone companies from providing special access to some content providers. But the statement posted online Monday, as Mr. Obama traveled to Asia, is the most direct effort by the president to influence the debate about the Internet’s future.”

Tech Crunch notes Obama laid out “in no uncertain terms that he believes no cable company or access provider should be able to put limits on access to the Internet.”