4 in 5 Americans say they support net neutrality: poll

Eighty percent of Americans say they support net neutrality, a boon to Democrats who are currently pushing legislation on the issue in the House, according to a new poll from Comparitech.

The Comparitech survey, which tracks with other polls that have found high levels of support for net neutrality among U.S. voters, was conducted a week after Democrats introduced the Save the Internet Act in early March. 

{mosads}Almost 87 percent of Democrats and 77 percent of Republicans surveyed said they support net neutrality, the principle that Internet service providers should allow users to access all content without fees or interruption. 

Three in five Democrats said the issue is “very important” to them, while 31 percent of Republicans said the same.  

More than sixty-seven percent of respondents said they are concerned Internet content will be blocked or censored, while 63.5 percent said they fear customers will receive different services and web speeds.

The Save The Internet Act would codify the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) 2015 Open Internet Order into law, prohibiting internet service providers from blocking, throttling or prioritizing certain web traffic. 

The FCC in 2017 repealed the Obama-era net neutrality rules, with Republicans claimed they imposed too many regulations on the broadband industry.  

Democratic leaders, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) introduced the Save The Internet Act at a press conference on March 7, reviving the battle over net neutrality from the helm of the House majority. 

Republicans have resisted the Democratic legislation, saying it is likely to be dead on arrival in the Senate. They have introduced three of their own net neutrality bills.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) in recent days said the House will hold a vote on the Democrats’ bill to reinstate the Obama-era net neutrality rules next month. 

Comparitech conducted the online survey of 1,003 Americans on March 13 and released the results on March 18. The majority of respondents identified as millennials, while 27 percent were grouped into Generation X, and 11 percent were baby boomers. Forty-eight percent said they were Democrats, 27 percent were Independents and 25 percent were Republicans.