--- title: "Net Neutrality Hater Ajit Pai Is Stepping Down From the FCC" description: "FCC chairman Ajit Pai has announced he's leaving the position on January 20 following the inauguration of president-elect Joe Biden." date: "2020-11-30" modified: "2020-11-30" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/net-neutrality-fcc-chairman-ajit-pai-stepping-down" categories: - "FCC" - "Future Society" tags: - "ajit pai" - "fcc" - "Net Neutrality" - "the digest" --- # Net Neutrality Hater Ajit Pai Is Stepping Down From the FCC ![FCC chairman Ajit Pai has announced he's leaving the position on January 20 following the inauguration of president-elect Joe Biden.]() *\Image: Gage Skidmore\* ## Bye Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai has announced he's planning on leaving the position on January 20, following the inauguration of president-elect Joe Biden. "It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve at the Federal Communications Commission, including as Chairman of the FCC over the past four years," Pai said. "To be the first Asian-American to chair the FCC has been a particular privilege. As I often say: only in America." ## Net Runner Pai became the figurehead of the Trump administration's war on net neutrality — and as a result, [one of the most hated men]() on the internet. Immediately after he was appointed as chairman in 2017, Pai oversaw the [reversal of Obama-era net neutrality rules](), downgrading internet services' Title II "common carrier service" classifications to Title I "information services." In other words, internet service providers were no longer bound to the principle that ensured all internet communications must be treated equally, meaning that companies with the means to do so could purchase "fast lanes" for their products. ## Gut Check Pai has argued that the gutting of net neutrality rules "will help promote digital opportunity," [according to a 2018 statement]() in response to a majority of the Senate voting to reverse the FCC's repeal of net neutrality rules at the time. Pai has also overseen the suspension of several participants from a program for low-income broadband subsides, as [*The New York Times* reported]() in 2017, as well as an [attempt to change how it handled consumer complaints]() with telecom carriers. The chairman's announcement also could result in the agency reaching a Democratic majority sooner than expected, [as *CNBC* reports](). **READ MORE:** [FCC Chairman Ajit Pai will step down on January 20th]() \[*The Verge*\] **More on Ajit Pai:** *[Net Neutrality Is Officially Gone. Here’s How This Will Affect You.]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()