Yesterday FCC Chairman Kevin Martin announced that the FCC would take action against the cable giant Comcast for illegally violating the principle of net neutrality, or Internet Freedom, when it gave preference to its own traffic while slowing other traffic. Essentially Comcast acted as a gatekeeper and illegally created a private fast lane on the Internet for favored content while it relegated competitor traffic to a slow lane. It's a big victory for a free and open Internet. If these sorts of abuses are not stopped the slowed traffic could eventually include public interest communications. And of course, the gatekeeper control would also stifle the competition and innovation that have made the Internet an engine of economic growth, while allowing the Comcasts and Verizons of the world to gain even more economic power without actually doing anything to deserve it. The FCC is expected to vote in three weeks. The FCC action is in response to a complaint filed by Free Press and Public Knowledge and backed by members of SavetheInternet.com, including U.S. PIRG. As Free Press explains:

...it all started with one person. When barbershop quartet enthusiast Robb Topolski found Comcast was preventing him from sharing legal music files with other fans, he took to his computer and launched a one-man investigation. Topolski uncovered conclusive evidence that Comcast was secretly blocking his uploads. His concerns echoed those of hundreds of other Comcast users, who had taken to the blogs and chat rooms to express their dismay.