Repeal of net neutrality in the United States

On December 14, 2017, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to repeal regulations classifying the internet as a Title II communication service protected under the Communications Act of 1934. The commission approved the Restoring Internet Freedom Order, by a 3-to-2 margin, reversing an earlier decision establishing net neutrality in the United States.

Background

On December 21, 2010, the FCC created the Open Internet Order, giving itself regulatory power over broadband internet service providers. The order barred internet providers from restricting access or "unreasonably discriminating" against certain content. On January 20, 2011, Verizon filed a lawsuit against the FCC challenging the legality of net neutrality rules. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that since the commission had originally put broadband service in a separate category than phone service, it now lacked reasonable justification to lump the two categories together. However, the appeals court affirmed the opinion that the FCC does have powers to regulate the service, leaving open the possibility for the commission to pass new rules that agree with the court's decision.