Comcast ordered to stop blocking BitTorrents
A lot of anger and speculation has circulated about Comcast and net neutrality lately. The internet service provider serving 14.1 million high-speed customers has drawn criticism for blocking or slowing BitTorrent traffic. Now the FCC has announced that Comcast must stop interfering with the P2P filesharing traffic. As a result of the ruling, many high speed customers are seeking compensation from the ISP.
BitTorrent is a protocol for sharing files among a group of users. Instead of one distributor incurring the cost and bandwidth associated with a popular file, each user who downloads contributes a small piece of the data to the subsequent users. Many different clients have popped up to deal with the popularity of BitTorrents, and ISPs are struggling to keep up with bandwidth demands of BitTorrent users.
Comcast had admitted to interfering with BitTorrent traffic, but claimed that it was only during high-traffic periods. However, the Max Planck Institute conducted a study to find out if this statement was true. As TorrentFreak, a popular forum for BitTorrent users reports, “The findings reveal that the BitTorrent connections of half of Comcast and Cox’s customers are being cut. In addition, the data shows that these practices take place 24/7, disproving Comcast’s earlier statement to the FCC.” Not only was Comcast targeting BitTorrent traffic, but the ISP was cutting it off altogether.
The FCC ruling has led to class action lawsuits against Comcast by users who had paid for unlimited bandwidth usage. According to TorrentFreak, damages paid to users could add up to $5 million. Despite the legal implications of the FCC’s ruling, the news also brings up lingering issues regarding net neutrality. Congressional leaders have looked into net neutrality legislation in the past that would guarantee some measure of privacy and protection from ISPs, but nothing concrete has ever been decided.
It is likely that ISPs will continue to push against net neutrality, as they would like to act as gatekeepers to the internet. In Comcast and AT&T’s estimation, they should be able to shape the future of the net, which is now open to user-generated content and entrepreneurial individuals. However, public support for net neutrality has never been stronger. The FCC’s subsequent fine and further class action suits just may convince Comcast to maintain the status quo.
By Haley January Eckels