FCC Begins Defence Of Net Neutrality Repeal
It’s coming up to a year now since the FCC officially decided to overturn the net neutrality protections in America. At the time of the announcement there were many, including myself, who felt that while they may have been entitled to make that decision, the manner in which it was conducted was very sly and underhanded.
Announcing their decision literally just weeks before Thanksgiving (pretty much the biggest holiday on the American calendar) it did not give supporters of net neutrality much time to organise their resistance. A factor I think the FCC was very aware of!
Legal Battle
Since the decision went ahead (and was formally approved last February), a legal case was filed against the FCC. In a report via CNET, 22 State Attorney Generals launched legal action citing that the decision made was “arbitrary” and “capricious.” The FCC has defended its position in a legal brief stating that ultimately, the organisation was entitled to make the decision and can always ‘change its mind’ about it. Well… that’s nice!
This Could Go On For Some Time
This legal battle could be set to last for a very long time. It may even end up going to the supreme court. In fairness to the FCC, despite the removal of net neutrality protections (protections designed to prevent specific traffic being throttled), there have been no instances, at least to my knowledge, of a company looking to capitalise on these new rules. Perhaps they’re just waiting for the first one to be brave enough to do it. Then, others will follow!
Given that the removal was backed by the current US administration, it will be interesting to see what happens!
What do you think? Are you a supporter of net neutrality? Do you think it can be applied again in America? Will it require a change at the top? – Let us know in the comments!
