A U.S. appeals court temporarily halted the Federal Communications Commission’s reinstatement of landmark net neutrality rules until August 5th.
This decision comes as the court considers legal challenges from the broadband industry. The FCC, voting along party lines in April, decided to resume regulatory oversight of broadband internet and restore open internet rules revoked in 2017 under then-President Donald Trump.
Originally adopted in 2015, these rules were slated to take effect again on July 22nd but were delayed by the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. The court stated the delay was necessary “to provide sufficient opportunity to consider the merits” of the request to suspend the rules during the ongoing legal challenge. The FCC did not issue an immediate comment on Friday.
Net neutrality rules mandate that internet service providers treat internet data and users equally, prohibiting them from restricting access, throttling speeds, or blocking content for specific users. The rules also forbid special arrangements where ISPs prioritize network speeds or access for favored users.
If implemented, the rules would prevent ISPs from blocking or slowing down traffic to particular websites, engaging in paid prioritization of lawful content, and would equip the FCC with new tools to monitor internet service outages and crack down on Chinese telecom companies.
President Joe Biden has prioritized reinstating net neutrality, signing an executive order in July 2021 that encouraged the FCC to restore the rules initially adopted in 2015 under President Barack Obama, a fellow Democrat.
During Trump’s administration, the FCC argued that net neutrality rules were unnecessary, stifled innovation, and led to reduced network investment by ISPs, a position contested by Democrats.
