Federal Appeals Court Strikes Down FCC’s Net Neutrality Rules
A federal appeals court has struck down the U.S. Federal Communication Commission’s existing net neutrality rules, which prevent broadband providers from discriminating against certain kinds of network traffic. The key to the verdict is that since the FCC has explicitly exempted broadband providers from classification as common carriers, it can’t regulate them as such. However, the FCC can still require broadband providers to disclose how they manage traffic, thus forcing disclosure of what large content companies might be paying for prioritized delivery. The FCC’s options at this point are either to further appeal the ruling or change its rules.