Federal court upholds 'net neutrality' regulations

[Geee]

Washington Examiner:

A federal court on Tuesday upheld "net neutrality" regulations passed by the Federal Communications Commission last year. The court ruled, in part, that because providers are not understood by consumers to "speak," they did not enjoy First Amendment protections.

 

The decision from the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals upholds the FCC's massive classification of broadband providers as public utilities, which came under the "Open Internet Order" passed by the commission last year. It also leaves those providers subject to FCC regulation, a major victory for the Obama administration.

 

The decision was authored by Judges David Tatel and Sri Srinivasan, the latter of whom has been mentioned as a potential future Democratic nominee for the Supreme Court. The two denied a spectrum of arguments made by petitioners, which ranged from procedural to substantive and constitutional. A third judge, Reagan-appointee Stephen Williams, concurred in part and dissented in part.