After AT&T's crushing blow, FTC tells Senate it wants its balls back

US trade watchdog the FTC says it will appeal the August decision stripping its ability to fine AT&T. In a hearing before the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation this week, FTC chairwoman Edith Ramirez confirmed her agency will challenge the Ninth Circuit Court's ruling that corporations that deliver a …

[Sebastian A]

Do consumers have any rights left in America other than the right to consume?

[a_yank_lurker]

@Sebastian A - No.

[Richard Jones 1]

US Customer Rights

The Right to be shafted.

The Right to be gouged.

The Right to no redress for shoddy service.

The Right to no redress over shoddy provisions.

The Right to no redress for anything supplied by a US company however dangerous.

The Right for the government to fine overseas entities anything they like whether justified or not.

You get the picture over rights?

[ecofeco]

Is this a trick question?

[ma1010]

So, business as usual?

This is exactly what the communications oligipoly wants, a complete lack of government oversight. And they have the monetary muscle to buy any court or Congress. Expect nothing to change. Government by, for and of the corporations these days. Welcome to the future.

[Mikerahl]

Re: So, business as usual?

Here's a thought. How about removing all regulation from telecommunications? Including all limitations placed on radio waves (possibly exempting a few frequencies reserved for police and the military), and any right of way to use people's backyards (forcing telcos to pay for everyone's land they want to use, individually), requiring them to pay for any use of public land, municipality by municipality, Perhaps when their networks cease to function, they'll see a value to regulation?

[Alan Brown]

Re: So, business as usual?

"This is exactly what the communications oligipoly wants"

Which isn't much different to what the railway or oil robber-barons wanted in the 19th century. They stuffed the government full of their goons then too.

This will be ended, sooner or later.

[Anonymous Coward]

While I loathe government regulation by inclination, regulatory capture for one, I would much prefer having both commissions on the watch as well as the Executive and Judiciary. Strange ruling by the 9th still, in many ways, given their natural "viewpoint."

[Emmeran]

It's a three pronged attack on attempts to enforce fair capitalism:

1. Deregulation

2. Declassification

3. Unfunding regulating agencies

And that's how its done fellas.

[Brian Miller]

FCC needs an edge

Now, would the FCC become Sweeny Todd or Jack Ketch?

A good regulation would be to require ISPs to shut off access to IDIOTs.

[Your alien overlord - fear me]

Hope they agree but put the FCC in charge - just to annoy that cow.

[Anonymous Coward]

Her role is to regulate what is legislated, not what is missing from the law.

FTC chairwoman Edith Ramirez, "The exception no longer makes sense in today’s deregulated environment where the lines between telecommunications and other services are increasingly becoming blurred, such as when telecommunications companies are buying edge providers and consumers increasingly communicate over online social networks instead of landlines."

Edith is correct... but it is the elected legislator who must grant her the scope of what she is to regulate. Will she try to regulate Social Networks next, as she alludes to in her quote?

She might as well just try to regulate the noise emanating from the water closet, since the sound travels over the air waves... and that would be struck down, as well, by reasonably fair justices.