• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon

2

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

3

Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026

1

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon

2

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

3

Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026
TechFortune 500

This Is What Apple Has to Say About the Net Neutrality Debate

By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 31, 2017, 12:35 PM ET

Apple entered the net neutrality debate, urging the government to continue prohibiting Internet service providers from discriminating against web sites and online content.

But in a short, four-page filing, the iPhone maker did not take a stand on just how such regulations should be implemented, a key question as the Federal Communications Commission considers rolling back its own 2015 net neutrality rules. Apple’s FCC filing was earlier reported by Recode.

“Broadband providers should not block, throttle, or otherwise discriminate against lawful websites and services,” Cynthia Hogan, Apple’s vice president for public policy, wrote to the agency. “Far from new, this has been a foundational principle of the FCC’s approach to net neutrality for over a decade. Providers of online goods and services need assurance that they will be able to reliably reach their customers without interference from the underlying broadband provider.”

Apple (AAPL) also opposes allowing paid prioritization, the practice banned in the 2015 rules of Internet service providers speeding up customers access to some content in return for payments. Allowing paid prioritization, sometimes called fast lanes for preferred content, would create “an internet with distorted competition where online providers are driven to reach deals with broadband providers or risk being stuck in the slow lane and losing customers due to lower quality service,” she wrote. Apple could be affected since it sells digital movies, music, and TV shows via the iTunes store, runs its own streaming music service called Apple Music, and is reportedly getting ready to offer a lot more of its own video programming online.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Two years ago, under Obama-appointed FCC chairman Tom Wheeler, the agency adopted rules along those lines. But because courts had twice overturned earlier efforts, the agency based the 2015 rules on a determination that Internet service providers like AT&T (T), Verizon (VZ), and Comcast (CMCSA) were “common carriers” similar to the old phone companies, an area where the law gives the FCC clear regulatory powers.

Trump-appointed chairman Ajit Pai is seeking to overturn the common carrier designation, which he and the ISP industry argue led to excessive regulation and deterred investment in broadband networks. But Pai hasn’t said how he would continue to prevent ISPs from blocking, throttling or otherwise messing with online content. The public comment period on Pai’s preliminary rollback proposal ends on Thursday, with the agency likely to move forward with a final rule in coming months.

Internet companies including Amazon (AMZN) and Netflix (NFLX) along with online civil rights and free speech groups have supported the 2015 rules, saying they promoted innovation and protected free expression online.

Apple didn’t take a specific position on the common carrier issue in its comments. “Apple remains open to alternative sources of legal authority, but only if they provide for strong, enforceable, and legally sustainable protections, like those in place today,” Hogan wrote. “Simply put, the internet is too important to consumers and too essential to innovation to be left unprotected and uncertain.”

About the Author
By Aaron Pressman
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, US, on Wednesday, June 3, 2026
InvestingWall Street
Wall Street dumped nearly $1 trillion in tech stocks by midday—then clawed it back and bought peanut butter and paint
By Eva RoytburgJune 9, 2026
1 hour ago
AI isn’t replacing Hyatt’s salespeople—it’s freeing up a full day of work every week, according to the CEO
AIBrainstorm Tech
AI isn’t replacing Hyatt’s salespeople—it’s freeing up a full day of work every week, according to the CEO
By Sharon GoldmanJune 9, 2026
2 hours ago
America’s grid is reeling. General Motors offers itself as a distributed utility in disguise
EnergyAutos
America’s grid is reeling. General Motors offers itself as a distributed utility in disguise
By Nick LichtenbergJune 9, 2026
2 hours ago
Tesla cofounder: ‘We should be really worried’ about the U.S. grid as China speeds ahead in the power race
EnergyBrainstorm Tech
Tesla cofounder: ‘We should be really worried’ about the U.S. grid as China speeds ahead in the power race
By Jordan BlumJune 9, 2026
2 hours ago
The AI industry spent years chasing bigger models. Now it’s chasing efficiency
AIBrainstorm Tech
The AI industry spent years chasing bigger models. Now it’s chasing efficiency
By Sharon GoldmanJune 9, 2026
4 hours ago
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma speaks on stage at Fortune Brainstorm Tech 2026.
Big TechMicrosoft
‘Not an Allbirds Moment’: Xbox’s new CEO says she is grounding the console in gaming roots, not AI
By Sebastian HerreraJune 9, 2026
4 hours ago

Most Popular

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
Environment
Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
By Sasha RogelbergJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
Asia
Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
By Kate O'Keeffe and BloombergJune 8, 2026
24 hours ago
Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
Gen Zers are arriving at college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates
Success
Gen Zers are arriving at college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates
By Preston ForeJune 7, 2026
2 days ago
'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032
Economy
'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032
By Nick LichtenbergJune 9, 2026
7 hours ago
'The golden years are not golden': Boomers are hoarding most of America's wealth and power because they're terrified of outliving their money
Economy
'The golden years are not golden': Boomers are hoarding most of America's wealth and power because they're terrified of outliving their money
By Nick LichtenbergJune 7, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.