Temperatures will continue to fall over the next few days

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set aside the Federal Communications Commission's "net neutrality" rules

, which say that all Internet content should be treated equally by Internet service providers.

DFL Sen. Al Franken, long an advocate for net neutrality, was quick to criticize the ruling. Franken joined MPR News' Tom Crann to talk about the ruling and other issues.

"Everyone should understand that net neutrality has been the architecture of the internet all along — and that is why the internet has created so much economic activity, has created so much innovation. Basically what net neutrality is is saying that all information on the internet — everything flows at the same speed. Therefore a blog travels as fast as the New York Times.

"I've written the FCC again and asked them to act quickly to preserve net neutrality in response to this decision — basically to use the authority they have to continue net neutrality."

"Companies like Google, and Verizon...those companies are beginning to lose cloud business and this is billions and billions and billions of dollars for American businesses — because people are nervous about how much of their data is going to be accessed.

"Americans inherently mistrust executive power and if they don't have enough information they are going to believe it's being abused." 

On the proposed Polymet copper-nickel mine in northern Minnesota:

"I want to see this process go through and I want to see the science on it. These are minerals that we need for things and these mining operations would create jobs. On the other hand, we have to be completely worried about the water. And that's why it's so important that we look at the science on this."

Politics and Government News

Tom Crann

Author

Sen. Al Franken joined MPR News' Tom Crann to discuss this week's ruling on Internet neutrality rules and other issues.

Franken: FCC needs to act quickly to preserve net neutrality

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