The FCC’s internal inspector general has opened an investigation into the agency’s net neutrality rules.
Specifically, the watchdog is combing through the FCC’s rulemaking process to see if it improperly collaborated with the White House when drafting the rules. The FCC had set itself on a path towards creating the rules last summer, but President Barack Obama issued a public statement in November requesting the FCC to apply the strongest rules possible under .
Several weeks later, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler conceded that strong rules under the common carrier definition were the way to go. The FCC’s proposed rules would ban network providers from blocking web sites or apps, prevent them from throttling speeds, and prevent them from creating paid prioritization schemes.
Neither the FCC nor the inspector general commented on the matter, which was brought to light by Republicans. The FCC voted in favor of the rules 3-2 along party lines last month, but the rules face a long slog through the legal system before becoming law.
