When do net neutrality "anecdotes" become "data"?

November 17th, 2009

In our coverage of debates over the Federal Communications Commission’s authority to enforce its proposed Internet nondiscrimination rules, we’ve taken a look at pro and con arguments over whether Congress gave the agency net neutrality powers. But the question of statutory authority isn’t the only challenge facing the FCC’s suggested regulations—rules that would sanction ISPs for discriminating against applications and require transparency in their network management practices.

Critics also argue that US incidents where ISPs engaged in questionable network behavior have been so few that setting up tougher standards amounts to “regulation by anecdote.”