On January 2, 2025, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit delivered a significant ruling and blocked the Biden administration’s efforts to reinstate net-neutrality regulations. The court determined that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) lacked the legal authority to reclassify broadband services under Title II of the Communications Act, a move essential for enforcing net neutrality rules.
Net Neutrality’s Background
Net neutrality is the principle that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) must treat all data on the internet equally, without favoring or blocking particular products or websites. In 2015, during the Obama administration, the FCC classified broadband internet as a Title II telecommunications service, establishing regulations to enforce net neutrality. These rules were repealed in 2017 under the Trump administration, reclassifying broadband as a Title I information service, which subjected it to less stringent regulation.