AT&T Web rights proposal greeted with cynicism

AT&T asked Congress for an “Internet Bill of Rights” to set boundaries for companies’ online behavior in order to protect consumers. Supporters of net neutrality rules, which were eliminated in December, dismissed the call as a ploy to ward off regulation.

The third-largest broadband provider in the U.S. said Congress needs to act now that the Federal Communications Commission has gutted its own rules — a move favored by AT&T and other phone companies. In a letter to legislators placed in major newspapers starting Wednesday, CEO Randall Stephenson said Congress should write “new laws that govern the Internet and protect consumers,” with rules that apply to network operators as well as websites, like Facebook and Google.