Trump's FCC is officially moving to make it easier for internet companies to charge hidden fees

[Tho]

FCC Proposal Sets Stage for ISPs to Bypass Consumers with Hidden Fees

The Republican-led Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved a proposal that makes it easier for internet service providers (ISPs) to charge hidden fees without providing clear information to consumers. The proposed rule change, which was passed by all Republican commissioners and one Democrat on October 28, would significantly scale back the Broadband Facts labels – also known as "nutrition labels" – that ISPs have been required to publish since April.

These labels provide a breakdown of every little thing that goes into a bill for a service plan, including many "hidden fees" that ISPs don't include in advertised plan prices. The labels were initially proposed in 2016 and implemented by the Biden administration in 2024, with the goal of increasing transparency and consumer understanding.

However, under the new proposal, ISPs will no longer be required to read these labels over the phone to customers, make them available in account portals, or provide a complete accounting of fees. The FCC claims that these transparency requirements are "unduly burdensome" but notes that only 15% of customers actually use this information.

Critics argue that this change is a "political two-step," where ISPs first introduce labels and then claim they're unnecessary and remove them to confuse consumers. Anna Gomez, the lone Democrat on the commission, described the proposal as "one of the most anti-consumer items I have seen."

Despite claims from FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr that consumers don't benefit from these labels, a 2024 study found an 85% satisfaction rate among broadband customers who received detailed information about their bills. In contrast, Americans pay significantly more for internet service compared to many other countries, with rates twice as high as those in Europe and most of Asia.

While the proposal has not yet become final, experts warn that this change could further entrench opaque billing practices and harm consumers.

 

[NBA Bakin]

I'm so worried about parents like me trying to keep up with our kids' internet bills . These hidden fees are like trying to find a needle in a haystack! It's like the ISPs are playing a game of "gotcha" and saying "oh, you didn't know that? Well, now you're gonna pay for it!"

I've seen so many families struggle with understanding their bills because they just don't have the bandwidth . It's like trying to explain complex math problems to your 5-year-old (who btw is better at it than most adults I know).

This new proposal is just going to make things worse, and I'm not sure how many more times we can trust ISPs to be honest with us about our internet bills . What's next? Will they start charging us for air we breathe?!

 

[Excited E]

omg I'm literally freaking out about this !! so the fcc just made it easier for ISPs to hide fees from us? like what even is the point of having labels if they can just get rid of them?! I remember when my boyfriend was getting charged way more than we agreed on and I found out because I saw those broadband facts labels online... he was so apologetic and changed our plan ASAP . if only everyone knew about these labels like that... anyway, I'm totally against this proposal . I think it's just another way for ISPs to make more money off us without being transparent. ugh, I hate feeling like I have to fight for my rights as a consumer

 

[Orbital Duck Dancers]

This is a major red flag ! ISPs should be held accountable for their pricing transparency, not given more wiggle room to sneak in extra charges without us knowing . It's crazy that only 15% of customers actually use these labels - doesn't that just prove they're necessary?! I'm so frustrated when companies try to game the system and take advantage of consumers. Those hidden fees add up quickly, and it's not fair to people who are already struggling to afford basic necessities. We need more advocates like Anna Gomez speaking out against this nonsense!

 

[Poised Po]

omg u guys cant beleev whats happnin! so theres this fcc thingy thats lettin ISPs screw over consumrs with hidden fees. its like they wanna keep ppl in the dark about whats goin on w/ their internet bills lol.

anywayz, i was thinkin... isnt it weird that we pay WAY more 4 our internet service than ppl elze? like europe and asia get better deals 2. thats not right! so yeah this new rule change is def a step in the wrong direction. i hope sum1 stops them from implementin this ASAP

 

[Famous Ferre]

Ugh I cant believe this is even happening! ISPs are supposed to be on our side but now they're just trying to rip us off again They already make it hard enough to find good deals and then they add all these sneaky fees that we have no idea about. Its like they think we're stupid or something I remember when I first got my internet plan, I had to dig through a million pages of fine print just to figure out what was going on. And now the FCC is just letting them get away with it? No way! We need better transparency and more regulation, not less!

 

[Awesome Wagon Chase]

Ugh, I'm so frustrated about this . I feel like ISPs are always trying to find ways to sneak extra charges past us without us even realizing it's happening. It's not right that they get to just hide all these fees in a bunch of fine print and expect us to magically figure it out on our own. And now, with these "nutrition labels" being taken away, I'm pretty sure things are only going to get worse . It's like they think we're stupid or something. But honestly, 85% of broadband customers are still happy with their rates when they know exactly what's going on? That's just common sense . Can't the FCC just make sure ISPs are being transparent and fair to us all? It's not that hard .

 

[Elderly Mountain Climbe]

Ugh , can't believe what's going down here! ISPs think they can just hide fees from us like it's no big deal? The whole point of those "nutrition labels" was to make sure we knew what we were paying for, but apparently that's too much work for the industry . I mean, 15% of customers don't use it, but doesn't that just mean they're not doing their job right?

And what really gets me is when people say we don't need this transparency because we can just understand our bills somehow (yeah right!). Newsflash: just because you think you get it doesn't mean others do! It's like, hello, we're talking about internet service providers here - they're making hundreds of dollars off us every month . We deserve better than to be left in the dark.

I swear, if this proposal gets through, I'll be all over it like a rash . ISPs need to be held accountable for their actions, and that includes being transparent about what we're paying for .

 

[Enthusiastic Echid]

this is a total game-changer for us internet users... i'm so sick of these ISPs charging me extra fees without me even knowing what they are! like, what's the point of having labels if we can't see them? it's just another way for them to rip us off and now that they're not gonna have to provide this info, we're stuck in the dark ages of billing... i swear, if i wanted to pay more money, i'd be buying a new laptop every month

 

[In Search o]

omg I'm soooo mad about this FCC is basically giving ISPs free reign to screw us over! they're basically saying customers aren't smart enough to figure out what's going on with their bills, which is just not true. I know people who've gotten burned by hidden fees and it's infuriating.

I mean, think about it - ISPs already make money off the number of gigs we use, but now they get to charge us extra for stuff that's basically part of the service? like, what's next? charging us for breathing on their equipment?

And don't even get me started on how this affects low-income families who already have limited budgets. They can least afford to be taken advantage of by these big corporations.

The whole thing just feels so backwards - we're supposed to be living in a society where consumers are protected, not just whoever's got the most money.

 

[Hillbi]

ISPs are gonna get away with screwing customers over even more . I mean, who needs to know what hidden fees they're being charged for? 15% of people actually use the labels anyway, so why bother? It's all about transparency and keeping things honest, right? Wrong . This is just another example of how ISPs are more interested in lining their pockets than providing good service to customers. And it's not like this is the first time they've been caught taking advantage of people... remember when they lied about net neutrality? Anyway, this proposal is a disaster waiting to happen, and I have no faith that anything will be done to stop it .

 

[Search for the Hor]

man, this is so not cool - ISPs are basically trying to pull a fast one on us with these hidden fees. they're like "oh, just trust us, it's all good" but we know how that goes. people deserve to know what they're paying for and how much of their hard-earned cash is going towards extra charges that aren't even clearly explained.

it's crazy that only 15% of customers actually use these labels, and yet the FCC is still trying to get rid of them . i mean, if it ain't broke don't fix it, right? we need to stay vigilant and make sure our voices are heard on this one. let's get the word out and demand better from our ISPs

 

[Battlefiel]

Ugh , can you believe this? ISPs are basically allowed to screw over their customers now. They'll just keep charging extra fees without telling us what they are, like some sneaky math trick . And don't even get me started on the whole "only 15% of customers use these labels" thing – that's not our problem, we should have access to this info regardless . I mean, it's not like it's hard to understand a simple breakdown of what you're paying for. The FCC is basically just letting ISPs run amok and it's so unfair . We need more transparency, not less!

 

[Horrible H]

I'm like totally not down with this new rule . I mean, ISPs are already making it hard enough to understand how much we're paying for our internet plans without taking away the labels altogether . The whole "only 15% of customers use this info" thing just doesn't sit right with me...like, yeah sure, maybe only a small portion of people care about the fine print, but what about all the rest who are just trying to keep their bills in check?

And honestly, I'm pretty sure that the whole "consumers don't benefit from these labels" claim is just a load of BS . Have you seen those numbers on satisfaction rates when customers get detailed info about their bills? Like, 85% of people are totally stoked with it? That's no joke! And what's the opposite side to this? People getting ripped off by ISPs who can't even be bothered to tell them how much they're really paying . No thanks

 

[Pro Racing Bandits]

I'm soooo worried about this ! ISPs already make it hard enough to understand their plans and prices... now they get to hide fees from us? It's like, what's the point of even having labels if we can't use them?! My mom told me about these "nutrition labels" back in 2016, and how they were supposed to be a game-changer for transparency. But it looks like the FCC is just trying to make ISPs richer... Meanwhile, people are still getting ripped off by outrageous bills. I mean, did you know that internet rates in the US are twice as high as in Europe? It's crazy! We need better regulation, not less.

 

[Orbital]

man I'm getting so frustrated with these ISPs they're like total wolves in sheep's clothing always finding ways to sneak up on us with hidden fees and then acting all innocent when we call them out on it. this new proposal is a huge step back for transparency, imo. i mean if 15% of customers aren't using those labels does that really sound like enough reason to just get rid of the whole thing? seems like ISPs are just trying to confuse people and make more cash off us . we need to keep fighting for our rights as consumers and make sure these labels stay in place!

 

[Spotless Salam]

omg what's wrong w/ these ISPs??! they're just trying 2 rip ppl off now even more u think a 15% of ppl using the labels is enough?! newsflash: it's not about the ppl who use them, it's about all the ppl who don't know what's goin on in their bills if u wanna make money, be transparent, not hidden fees! and btw, those 2024 study results are no joke, 85% satisfaction rate? ISPs r killin' it... NOT

 

[Tired Thrush]

I'm telling you, something fishy is going on here! The FCC is just trying to make it easier for ISPs to rip us off without us even knowing. Those "nutrition labels" were a good idea in the first place, but now they're getting axed because of who's pulling the strings. This is like a classic case of "you can't fool us all with your fancy marketing tricks!" The fact that only 15% of customers use this info just makes me think there are more people out there who are just too dumb to know how to complain about it .

And what's up with Brendan Carr saying we don't need these labels? Has he been paid off or something? I mean, come on, the study from 2024 said a whopping 85% of customers were happy with this info. How can you just ignore that and say consumers don't benefit? It's like they're trying to confuse us on purpose.

 

[Uptight Unico]

omg this is so unfair ISPs r already making a ton of cash from us & now they wanna sneak in more fees without our knowledge? it's like they think we won't even notice or care

imagine u get ur internet bill & its all confusing with hidden fees every where but the labels r removed so u have no idea what u r paying for & u gotta call them 2 ask? no thanks

the FCC claims it's not a big deal cuz only 15% of ppl use these labels but i think that's just bc they dont wanna read the fine print or understand how much they r getting ripped off we need more transparency not less!

 

[Silly Sloth]

This is not what I want to see. ISPs should be transparent about their fees, not make it hard for us to understand what we're getting charged. It's like they're trying to confuse us on purpose...

I remember when I first got internet and the labels were so helpful, showed me exactly what was going into my bill. Now it sounds like that's being taken away from us. This is a big deal, people should be aware of what they're paying for.