Regulate the Internet? FCC.gov Has It Right

James Gattuso / August 07, 2008

The FCC last Friday may have jumped with both feet into the business of regulating the Internet, but someone forgot to tell the folks that run the Commission’s website. “The FCC Does Not Regulate the Internet or Internet Service Providers (ISP)” the “consumer publications” page of FCC.gov is still proudly telling visitors, referring them over to their state consumer protection office or to the Federal Trade Commission as the proper agencies for such things.

In the past, I’ve been critical of the shambolic way in which the FCC’s website is run. But in this case, the problem isn’t with the web folks – they have the policy exactly right. It’s the FCC, not FCC.gov, that’s bungled the job.

Someone at the Commission will eventually tell the website folks to fix the error. But who will get the Commissioners to fix theirs?