Could net neutrality have shielded California firefighters from throttling?

"We saw the true danger of the Federal Communications Commission's net neutrality repeal when Verizon was caught throttling California firefighters," said digital rights group Fight for the Future. Let’s unpack that statement. 

What’s clear is that because the firefighters’ service plan permitted the kind of speed restrictions that were allowed under the old rules, Verizon did not directly violate net neutrality’s no-throttling rule. But there’s another rule that could have ensnared Verizon: The "general conduct" rule. This prohibited companies like Verizon and Comcast from "unreasonably interfering" with customers’ Internet access. It also created an avenue for customers to file complaints to the FCC. But the repeal of net neutrality choked off this avenue. Harold Feld, the senior vice president at Public Knowledge, said the key point comes down to whether or not there’s a process for aggrieved consumers to get a fair hearing. "It’s not just about whether Verizon behaved appropriately or not," he said. "It’s about having clear rules and procedures in place so that when an emergency like this happens, people know what to do and can resolve the problem quickly." "The removal of the 'cop on the beat' may have contributed to Verizon acting in ways that even it now admits was dumb," said former FCC staffer Blair Levin. "If there is no one watching, people act differently than if they think someone is watching."

Our ruling: Under net neutrality, the firefighters could have filed a complaint against Verizon to the FCC, which at the very least would have launched an investigation, experts said. Repeal of the rules removed that avenue, thereby sidelining the FCC from serving as a "cop on the beat." However, the firefighters’ service plan permitted the kind of speed restrictions that were allowed under the old rules. So the company did not violate net neutrality’s no-throttling rule. The claim is partially accurate but leaves out important context. We rate this Half True.