Net neutrality is struck, ending a long battle to regulate ISPs like public utilities

submited by

Style Pass

2025-01-04 08:30:05

A federal appeals court struck down the Federal Communications Commission's net neutrality rules, ending a 20-year push to regulate internet service providers like a public utility.

A U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati on Thursday ruled that the FCC did not have legal authority to reinstate the landmark net neutrality rules.

It's a largely partisan issue that has found Democrats on the side of so-called net neutrality in an effort to hold ISPs more accountable for providing fast, safe and reliable internet for all. The decision deals a blow to the Biden Administration, which prioritized implementing net neutrality rules.

Net neutrality was first introduced by the FCC during the Obama Administration in 2015 and was repealed two years later under then-President Donald Trump.

Then, last year, the FCC effectively reinstated net neutrality when it voted to reclassify broadband as a public utility, such as water and electricity, to regulate access to the internet. Under the Communications Act of 1934, such public utility services are subject to government regulation.