Court Rejects Lawsuit Against NSA on "State Secrets" Grounds
Appeals Court Upholds Claw Back of Net Neutrality Rules, With Caveat
October 1, 2019 by Dan McCue
WASHINGTON – The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday issued a mixed ruling on the Federal Communications Commission’s 2017 repeal of so-called net neutrality, allowing the claw back to stand while striking down a provision blocking states from adopting their own open internet rules.
The Obama-era net neutrality rules classified internet service providers as common carriers, subjecting them to tougher regulations and oversight, and prohibited them from discriminating against certain websites or from offering priority service where companies could pay for their content to reach internet users at faster speeds.
Republicans and service providers like AT&T, Comcast and Verizon, objected to the rules, but were unable to convince a court to overturn them.
The tide changed with the election of President Donald Trump, and his 2017 appointment of Republican Ajit Pai as FCC chairman. Shortly afterwards, the new Republican majority on the FCC board voted 3-2 to repeal the rules.
“At bottom, the commission lacked the legal authority to categorically abolish all fifty States’ statutorily conferred authority to regulate intrastate communications,” the court wrote, explaining why it threw out that portion of the rule.
The D.C. Circuit also said the FCC needed to spend additional time considering how its rules would affect public safety.
In a dissent, U.S. Circuit Judge Stephen Williams said the ruling would leave broadband “subject to state regulation in which the most intrusive will prevail.”
In The News
Health
Voting
Technology
September 17, 2021
by Court Rejects Lawsuit Against NSA on "State Secrets" Grounds
Court Rejects Lawsuit Against NSA on "State Secrets" Grounds
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — A divided federal appeals court has upheld the dismissal of an ACLU lawsuit challenging a... Read More
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — A divided federal appeals court has upheld the dismissal of an ACLU lawsuit challenging a portion of the National Security Agency's warrantless surveillance of Americans' international email and phone communications. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that the... Read More
September 15, 2021
by Victoria Turner
Demystifying Smart Cities: The Tech is Here to Deploy Smart Solutions
WASHINGTON -- Cities that have been investing in technology to someday become Smart Cities have been able to react, adapt... Read More
WASHINGTON -- Cities that have been investing in technology to someday become Smart Cities have been able to react, adapt and meet the digital challenges brought on by the pandemic quicker than those that have not, said Patti Zullo, senior director of Smart City Solutions at... Read More
September 14, 2021
by Victoria Turner
State and Local Governments Will Drive Broadband Deployment Success
States will be at the helm of the $42.5 billion in block grants designated in the historic $65 billion proposed... Read More
States will be at the helm of the $42.5 billion in block grants designated in the historic $65 billion proposed for nationwide high-speed broadband within President Biden’s infrastructure bill. The broadband-related funding of the bill itself shows the federal government recognizes broadband as essential as a... Read More
September 7, 2021
by Victoria Turner
The FCC Still Looking at Exclusivity Arrangements in MTE Broadband Market
WASHINGTON -- The Federal Communications Commission announced today it is seeking another round of comments regarding exclusivity arrangements between multi-tenant... Read More
WASHINGTON -- The Federal Communications Commission announced today it is seeking another round of comments regarding exclusivity arrangements between multi-tenant buildings and broadband providers. The filings preceding the announcement show the tug-of-war remains between those who think the competitive landscape for the broadband market in these... Read More
September 2, 2021
by Google Again Delays Return to Office Due to COVID Surges
Google Again Delays Return to Office Due to COVID Surges
Google is once again postponing a return to the office for most workers until mid-January, in addition to requiring all... Read More
Google is once again postponing a return to the office for most workers until mid-January, in addition to requiring all employees to be vaccinated once its sprawling campuses are fully reopened. The highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus is driving a dramatic spike in COVID-19... Read More
September 1, 2021
by Tom Ramstack
Executives Advocate for Legislation to Unite Government and Private Cybersecurity
WASHINGTON -- A cybersecurity expert told a congressional panel Wednesday that private industry alone cannot be expected to effectively confront... Read More
WASHINGTON -- A cybersecurity expert told a congressional panel Wednesday that private industry alone cannot be expected to effectively confront the kinds of cyberattacks that have wreaked havoc on U.S. computer networks in recent years. He testified to a House Homeland Security subcommittee as it considers... Read More
News From The Well
