A US appeals court has ruled that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) does not have legal authority to reinstate landmark net neutrality rules. The decision is a blow to the outgoing Biden administration, which had made restoring the open internet rules a priority.
The net neutrality rules, initially implemented in 2015 by the Obama administration and repealed in 2017 by the Trump administration, require internet service providers to treat all internet data and users equally. The court cited the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Loper Bright, which overturned a precedent that gave deference to government agencies.
The ruling leaves in place state neutrality rules adopted by California and others but may end over 20 years of federal oversight over the internet. Industry groups have hailed the decision as a victory for American consumers, while net-neutrality advocates are considering an appeal to the Supreme Court.
The FCC had voted to reinstate the open internet rules in April, but a court-ordered stay was put in place during a lawsuit by industry groups. The ruling has implications for efforts to crack down on Chinese telecom companies and monitor internet service outages, which were potential tools under the reinstated rules.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/02/tech/net-neutrality-defeat/index.html