--- description: The Federal Communications Commission says it wants to go in a different direction to Obama over net neutrality regulations. title: FCC Faces Off With Obama Over Net Neutrality image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6c9a9ce342d309ba/698768505f570f8b04b13836/obama-internet-potent_wong.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Politics](/section/politics/) ## Politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Technology](/tag/technology/) ## Technology Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # FCC Chair Signals He Won't Follow Obama's Lead on Internet Rules ## Video: #The Brief: Net Neutrality is a battle for the internet [Watch (HLS stream): #The Brief: Net Neutrality is a battle for the internet](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/JlXNTEu9.m3u8) (1:51)  _Published 2014-11-11. #The Brief: Net Neutrality is a battle for the internet_ by [Helen Regan](/author/helen-regan/) ## Helen Regan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Nov 12, 2014 9:44 AM CUT  In this May 1, 2013 file photo, President Barack Obama shakes hands with then nominee for Federal Communications Commission, Tom Wheeler, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington. In this May 1, 2013 file photo, President Barack Obama shakes hands with then nominee for Federal Communications Commission, Tom Wheeler, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington.Jacquelyn Martin—AP by [Helen Regan](/author/helen-regan/) ## Helen Regan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Nov 12, 2014 9:44 AM CUT A top federal regulator is [considering a split](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/11/11/the-fcc-weighs-breaking-with-obama-over-the-future-of-the-internet/ "undefined") with President Barack Obama over [a controversial Internet policy](http://time.com/102268/net-neutrality-facts/ "undefined"), according to a new report, in what could set up a big fight between the White House and the Federal Communications Commission. The Washington _Post_, citing unnamed sources who were present, sounded a different note than Obama when addressing a room full of tech executives after the President made his statement Monday. “What you want is what everyone wants: an open Internet that doesn’t affect your business,” FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler told executives from several major tech companies, including Google and Yahoo. “What I’ve got to figure out is how to split the baby.” Obama on Monday made his strongest statement yet in support of Net Neutrality, the principle that all content should be treated equally online. However, the FCC is an independent agency that’s not required to follow the President’s lead on policy matters. [Read more at the Washington _Post_](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/11/11/the-fcc-weighs-breaking-with-obama-over-the-future-of-the-internet/ "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3580455/fcc-chairman-obama-net-neutrality-conflict/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3580455/fcc-chairman-obama-net-neutrality-conflict/"},"headline":"FCC Chair Signals He Won't Follow Obama's Lead on Internet Rules","datePublished":"2014-11-12T09:44:48.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:03:39.669Z","description":"\"What I’ve got to figure out is how to split the baby,\" said FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler","url":"https://time.com/3580455/fcc-chairman-obama-net-neutrality-conflict/","keywords":["Technology","Tech","Internet","President Obama","Federal Communications Commission","Net neutrality","regulations"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6c9a9ce342d309ba/698768505f570f8b04b13836/obama-internet-potent_wong.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Helen Regan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/helen-regan/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6c9a9ce342d309ba/698768505f570f8b04b13836/obama-internet-potent_wong.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Barack Obama, Tom Wheeler","caption":"Barack Obama, Tom Wheeler","creditText":"Jacquelyn Martin—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/technology/","name":"Technology"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3580455/fcc-chairman-obama-net-neutrality-conflict/","name":"FCC Chair Signals He Won't Follow Obama's Lead on Internet Rules"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"#The Brief: Net Neutrality is a battle for the internet","description":"#The Brief: Net Neutrality is a battle for the internet","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/JlXNTEu9/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2014-11-11T16:34:03.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/JlXNTEu9.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3580455/fcc-chairman-obama-net-neutrality-conflict/","duration":"PT1M51S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3580455/fcc-chairman-obama-net-neutrality-conflict/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```