Thumbs up: Apple joins the fight for neutrality

Simply stated, net neutrality is about ensuring that everyone has equal access to the internet. Service providers can’t give special access to business partners or companies that pay them off. They also can’t hobble traffic from a particular site because they don’t like it or because it’s a competitor. The issue seemed to be settled in 2015, when the Federal Communications Commission issued net neutrality regulations. But Ajit Pai, the new chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, wants to rewrite the rules.

A record 22 million people filed comments with the FCC prior to this week’s deadline, with the vast majority opposing any change in the present rules. Some of the biggest names in Silicon Valley - Google, Facebook and Amazon - are supporters of net neutrality. But Apple was conspicuously silent - until Thursday, when the company sent a letter urging the FCC to leave the present rules in place. “We work hard to build great products, and what consumers do with those tools is up to them - not Apple, and not broadband providers,” Cynthia Hogan, a company vice president, said in the letter.

The present uncertainty could have been avoided had Congress adopted a net neutrality law. That hasn’t happened. So we hope the FCC is paying attention to internet users and tech companies.