Net Neutrality: Comcast Settles BitTorrent Throttling Class-Action Case
As reported by PCMag.com, Comcast is settling one of the lawsuits brought against it for BitTorrent data "throttling" (restricting the flow of a single type of data).
Net neutrality is a doctrine holding that all data should be treated equally on the electronic superhighway: no vehicles for data transmission are to be favored over others. The Federal Communications Commission was investigating Comcast's behavior, which included, according to a leaked memo, instructing staff to lie about the issue. Words were exchanged, lawsuits were filed, and now a class-action lawsuit has been settled.
Those inconvenienced by Comcast may apply for financial compensation from a $16 million fund. The maximum payout is... $16 for each user. Will a million angry users demand to be part of this payout? That remains to be seen.
The FCC ordered Comcast to end throttling activities back in July. Net neutrality remains a hot-button issue regarding the relationship between ISP's and their customers.
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