Friday, March 13, 2015
Civil rights groups that typically march in lockstep have split over new net-neutrality rules, and their discord has escalated into a sharp, at times even personal, feud.
Beyond a split over the merits of the new policy, civil rights groups are accusing each other of selling out the communities they represent in exchange for financial support from wealthy outside donors.
The divide stems from a disagreement over whether new net-neutrality rules ultimately help or hurt minorities and low-income communities. The rules—adopted last month by the Federal Communications Commission and released Thursday—classify broadband providers in the same category as phone service providers, allowing the government to regulate them more strictly.