Federal Appeals Court Strikes Down Net Neutrality Rules

Federal Appeals Court Overturns Landmark Net Neutrality Rules

A federal appeals court delivered a significant blow to net neutrality advocates on Thursday by striking down the Federal Communications Commission’s (F.C.C.) groundbreaking regulations aimed at ensuring an open internet. This ruling effectively concludes a nearly two-decade-long effort to regulate broadband internet providers as public utilities.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, located in Cincinnati, determined that the F.C.C. lacked the authority to reinstate rules that barred broadband providers from throttling or blocking access to internet content. This decision marks a pivotal moment for the Biden administration’s technology policy, which has garnered passionate support from consumer advocacy groups and tech giants such as Google, while facing staunch opposition from telecommunications corporations like Comcast and AT&T.

Jessica Rosenworcel, chairwoman of the F.C.C., expressed her disappointment in a statement following the ruling: “Consumers across the country have told us again and again that they want an internet that is fast, open, and fair. With this decision, it is clear that Congress now needs to heed their call, take up the charge for net neutrality and put open internet principles in federal law.”

The court’s opinion referenced a recent Supreme Court decision from June, known as Loper Bright, which overturned a long-standing legal precedent from 1984 that previously granted deference to government agencies regarding regulatory authority. The panel of three judges stated, “Applying Loper Bright means we can end the F.C.C.’s vacillations.”

In April, the F.C.C. had voted to restore net neutrality regulations, which expand governmental oversight of broadband providers and aim to safeguard consumer access to the internet. This ruling has reignited a longstanding battle over the principles of an open internet.

The original net neutrality rules were established nearly a decade ago during the Obama administration, designed to prevent internet service providers such as Verizon and Comcast from obstructing or degrading the service delivery of competitors like Netflix and YouTube. These regulations were subsequently repealed under President Donald J. Trump, and the issue has remained a contentious partisan battleground, pitting tech giants against traditional broadband providers.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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