The FCC‘s effort to establish rules of the road for internet service has been sidelined again, as a federal appeals court has blocked the late

FCC’s Net Neutrality Rules Blocked By Federal Appeals Court

submited by

Style Pass

2025-01-02 22:00:02

The FCC‘s effort to establish rules of the road for internet service has been sidelined again, as a federal appeals court has blocked the latest version of net neutrality regulations.

The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals concluded that the FCC did not have the authority to implement the rules, which require that ISPs treat all traffic equally. The rules also aimed to limit ISPs from establishing “fast lanes” and “slow lanes,” depending on who paid for preferential treatment.

While the FCC has gone back and forth for nearly two decades on net neutrality, depending on whether a Democrat or Republican is in the White House, the latest decision casts doubt on any future effort to establish robust regulations. That’s because the Supreme Court last year reversed a precedent that gives deference to federal agencies in interpreting laws they enforce. The precedent stemmed from a 1984 case, Chevron vs. NRDC, and came to be known as “Chevron deference” or the “Chevron doctrine.” Related Stories Ratings Cable News Ratings 2024: Fox Gets Big Bounce, While MSNBC And CNN Look To Come Back From Post-Election Tune-Out News Aaron Brown Dies: Former ABC News And CNN Anchor, Lauded For Coverage Of 9/11 Attacks, Was 76

A three-judge panel noted that the net neutrality rules “issued during the Biden administration—undoes the order issued during the first Trump administration, which undid the order issued during the Obama administration, which undid orders issued during the Bush and Clinton administrations.” Applying the most recent Supreme Court decision, the judges wrote, “means we can end the FCC’s vacillations.” Watch on Deadline