{"id":3476,"date":"2013-09-13T10:00:28","date_gmt":"2013-09-13T14:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.nccomputertech.com\/?p=3476"},"modified":"2013-09-13T10:00:28","modified_gmt":"2013-09-13T14:00:28","slug":"fccs-wishy-washy-rulemaking-might-doom-net-neutrality-in-court","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2013\/09\/13\/fccs-wishy-washy-rulemaking-might-doom-net-neutrality-in-court\/","title":{"rendered":"FCC\u2019s wishy-washy rulemaking might doom net neutrality in court"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/arstechnica.com\/tech-policy\/2013\/09\/fccs-wishy-washy-rulemaking-might-doom-net-neutrality-in-court\/\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/net-neutrality-censored.jpg\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>When the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted the Open Internet Order in 2010\u2014forbidding Internet Service Providers from blocking services or charging content providers for access to the network\u2014there was one thing the commission was careful not to do.<br \/>\nWhat the FCC did not do is declare that Internet service providers are &#8220;common carriers,&#8221; a classification that could have opened the door to even stricter regulations. Pre-dating the Internet by centuries, common carriage is &#8220;this age-old doctrine that says the person doing the shipping for you can&#8217;t mess with the contents,&#8221; said Matt Wood, policy director for Free Press, a group that advocates for &#8220;universal and affordable Internet access.&#8221;<br \/>\nThe FCC has avoided calling ISPs common carriers for more than a decade, favoring a &#8220;light touch&#8221; regulatory approach that could protect consumers while (hopefully) appeasing political foes of net neutrality, Wood said.<br \/>\nThat approach may be backfiring. Verizon recently challenged the legality of the Open Internet Order, and yesterday the company argued its case in front of a three-judge panel at the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. A Verizon win would allow ISPs to block content or charge providers for a faster lane to customers.<br \/>\nJudges are skeptical of FCC reasoning<br \/>\nWood is hoping the judges will uphold the Open Internet Order, but he believes that the FCC would be having an easier time defending itself if it declared ISPs common carriers in the first place. Most of the two-hour court session focused on the common carriage issue, he said.<br \/>\nThe concept that &#8220;the person doing the shipping for you can&#8217;t mess with the contents&#8221; is &#8220;what I think most people want to have out of their Internet service if they&#8217;re getting it from Verizon or from AT&amp;T or Comcast or somebody else who provides that wire,&#8221; Wood told Ars. &#8220;They don&#8217;t want to give in to Verizon&#8217;s claim that the ISP somehow has the right to edit the Internet and pick and choose where you can go and what you can say. The FCC has left that in doubt too much from its authority choices.&#8221;<br \/>\nWhile not proclaiming ISPs to be common carriers, the commission said it can make rules that sound similar to common carrier regulations because of the FCC&#8217;s legally mandated responsibilities to promote broadband deployment and adoption, to make sure video services are competitive, and to make sure wireless carriers serve the public interest.<br \/>\nWood and others who observed the judges&#8217; interactions with Verizon and FCC lawyers yesterday agree that the judges expressed skepticism about the FCC&#8217;s argument that the Open Internet rules don&#8217;t amount to common carriage-style regulations. Telecom analysts at Stifel sent a note to clients saying that the court seems likely to let ISPs charge for premium Internet links.<br \/>\n&#8220;We believe a DC Circuit panel majority signaled today at oral arguments that it\u2019s inclined to pare back FCC Open Internet rules in a way that would allow cable and telco broadband providers to charge Internet edge providers for improved connections to broadband customers,&#8221; Stifel wrote. &#8220;At the same time, the panel seemed inclined to uphold the FCC\u2019s authority to regulate broadband to some extent. \u2026 Such an outcome could give telcos and cable new flexibility to strike paid-prioritization deals for offering better service to Internet edge providers (e.g., Google, Amazon, Netflix), which could also include media companies (e.g., Disney, Fox, CBS, Viacom, Time Warner Cable). Whether it would be good or bad for edge\/media providers would depend on their business plans and financial wherewithal, but it could create faster &#8216;toll&#8217; lanes that give big edge players advantages over upstarts.&#8221;<br \/>\nFull Story: <a href=\"http:\/\/arstechnica.com\/tech-policy\/2013\/09\/fccs-wishy-washy-rulemaking-might-doom-net-neutrality-in-court\/\" target=\"_blank\">FCC\u2019s wishy-washy rulemaking might doom net neutrality in court | Ars Technica<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted the Open Internet Order in 2010\u2014forbidding Internet Service Providers from blocking services or [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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warns FCC plan could help ISPs charge senders of Web traffic","author":"NCCT","date":"February 25, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Google is warning that the Federal Communications Commission's net neutrality plan could have unintended consequences that help Internet service providers charge Web services for sending traffic. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler's plan would reclassify broadband providers as common carriers on two fronts, in the service they provide home Internet customers and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Networking&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Networking","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/networking\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":8046,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2015\/04\/16\/att-but-not-verizon-and-comcast-sue-fcc-over-net-neutrality\/","url_meta":{"origin":3476,"position":1},"title":"AT&#038;T, but not Verizon and Comcast, sue FCC over net neutrality","author":"NCCT","date":"April 16, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Out of the many lawsuits filed this week against the Federal Communications Commission, just one came from a major Internet service provider: AT&T. AT&T made no secret of its opposition to the FCC's net neutrality order, but it was reported last month that trade groups rather than individual ISPs would\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Technology&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Technology","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/technology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/att-logo-300x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5639,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2014\/05\/30\/net-neutrality-reclassifying-broadband-would-be-a-long-road\/","url_meta":{"origin":3476,"position":2},"title":"Net neutrality: Reclassifying broadband would be a long road","author":"NCCT","date":"May 30, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Advocates of strong net neutrality rules are calling for the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to reclassify broadband as a regulated utility, but such a move would trigger a lengthy court fight between the agency and broadband providers, some telecom law experts say. With net neutrality back on the FCC\u2019s agenda\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Networking&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Networking","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/networking\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/core3.staticworld.net\/images\/article\/2014\/02\/net-neutrality-100244574-large.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/core3.staticworld.net\/images\/article\/2014\/02\/net-neutrality-100244574-large.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/core3.staticworld.net\/images\/article\/2014\/02\/net-neutrality-100244574-large.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5828,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2014\/06\/20\/fcc-looking-into-complaints-that-broadband-isps-are-dragging-their-heels\/","url_meta":{"origin":3476,"position":3},"title":"FCC looking into complaints that broadband ISPs are dragging their heels","author":"NCCT","date":"June 20, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is looking into complaints from Netflix and some Internet backbone providers that several large broadband providers have been refusing for years to upgrade their backbone connections as a way to slow video traffic that competes with their own services. Following a public spat this week\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Networking&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Networking","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/networking\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":8855,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2016\/03\/07\/verizons-supercookie-fcc-settlement-requires-opt-in-for-some-tracking\/","url_meta":{"origin":3476,"position":4},"title":"Verizon&#8217;s &#8216;Supercookie&#8217; FCC settlement requires opt-in for some tracking","author":"NCCT","date":"March 7, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"By Jared Newman | PCWorld Verizon Wireless is getting slapped with a fine and privacy requirements after inserting undeletable tracking cookies into users\u2019 browsing sessions. As part of a settlement with the Federal Communications Commission, Verizon will have to get users\u2019 permission to share these \u201csupercookies\u201d with third-party partners. However,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Security&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Security","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/security\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":9277,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2017\/12\/17\/this-week-in-tech-645-not-a-bright-guy\/","url_meta":{"origin":3476,"position":5},"title":"This Week in Tech 645: Not a Bright Guy","author":"NCCT","date":"December 17, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/PPtupeFP1HU FCC cancels Net Neutrality and Ajit Pai mocks protesters. Apple's new iMac Pro costs a minimum of $4999 and goes up from there. Disney buys 21st Century Fox, gaining X-Men, Fantastic Four, and A New Hope, along with a 60% share of Hulu. Google cancels Tango as ARCore picks\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Technology&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Technology","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/technology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/PPtupeFP1HU\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3476","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3476"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3476\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}