What Is Net Neutrality? FCC Commissioner 'Uncomfortable' With Chairman's Plans For Net Neutrality

The only remaining Democratic representative on the Federal Communications Commission has expressed skepticism of the current administration’s plans to change the existing net neutrality rules, according to Axios.

In an interview with the publication, FCC commissioner Mignon Clyburn said she is "uncomfortable” with the proposed changes to net neutrality rules brought by Donald Trump-appointed chairman Ajit Pai, including a plan to have internet service providers voluntarily agree to abide by open internet principles.

Read: Is Net Neutrality Dead? What The Internet Will Look Like Without Open Internet Rules

"You've heard me say this dozens of times, about the internet and broadband being one of the greatest equalizers of our time, and what it enables,” Clyburn said. “And something that important, for a handful of entities saying this is how it's going to be done, I'm a little bit uncomfortable [with] that. I haven't seen anything, but just the promise of that makes me feel a little uncomfortable."

Net neutrality is the idea that all data on the internet should be treated as equal. It forbids practices like blocking specific content, throttling or slowing certain connections speeds, or providing a favorable experience to one service to the detriment of another.

Chairman Pai is expected to unveil his official plans for net neutrality this week. Earlier this month, he met with trade groups representing major telecommunications companies, which favor stripping away the regulatory regime first implemented by Pai’s predecessor Tom Wheeler during the Barack Obama administration.

One of the reported revelations to arise from Pai’s meeting with the telecom lobby was a plan that would require ISPs to simply voluntarily agree to uphold net neutrality principles while removing many of the legal protections that were established to enforce those roles.

Read: What Is Net Neutrality? How FCC's Title II and Open Internet Rules Came To Be

The previous administration established net neutrality protections by reclassifying the internet as a common carrier, which gave the FCC regulatory power over internet service providers. Chairman Pai, then a commissioner, opposed the change at the time and is now in a position to roll back the rules.

Regardless of the proposal Pai brings to the table, there won’t be enough votes to stop it. Commissioner Clyburn is the lone Democrat on the commission—there are two unfilled seats, one that belongs to the Republicans and one to the Democrats—and Republican commissioner Michael O’Rielly is expected to vote with his party member Pai.

Clyburn could potentially block a proposal by sitting out of the meeting and denying Pai the quorum needed to call a vote, but expressed no interest in doing so.

"As much as I like good mysteries and good stories and good headlines, I'm just going to say to you that I know I have a job to do, I intend to do that job, I am very proud of the voices and the people that I represent. I intend to continue to represent them,” she told Axios.