It’s Time to Stop Ignoring Tech Policy at the Ballot Box
Americans overwhelmingly support net neutrality — but it’s still not a voting issue
American consumers have long been vocal about the terrible state of U.S. broadband, which redefines mediocrity in terms of price, availability, and speed. But that anger intensified over the past few years, thanks to the government’s attacks on net neutrality rules supported by the bipartisan majority of Americans.
Historically, broadband gets, at best, lip service during election season. You’ll often see politicians in both parties talk a lot about “fixing the digital divide,” rife with promises that everyone, regardless of where they live or how much they make, should have access to inexpensive, quality broadband.
But post-election, these promises quickly evaporate, courtesy of the incredible lobbying influence that telecom industry giants like AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast have over federal and state lawmakers. That power is often so absolute that ISPs are quite often literally allowed to write state laws hamstringing broadband competition. All of which contributes to the fact that real political differences around net neutrality and privacy policies are too often ignored at the ballot box.
