F.C.C. Moves Toward Restoring Net Neutrality Rules, Igniting Regulatory Fight - The New York Times

The move will ultimately enable the agency to categorize high-speed internet as a utility, like water or electricity. That is a major step toward modernizing the agency's objectives, especially as consumers increasingly depend on the internet as their main source for communications. The agency will then be able to police broadband providers for net neutrality violations, consumer harm and security lapses. 

 "Now is the time for our rules of the road for internet service providers to reflect the reality that internet access is a necessity for daily life," Jessica Rosenworcel, the chair of the F.C.C., said in a statement...

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/19/technology/fcc-net-neutrality-vote.html

Net neutrality repeal under fire after fire service data-throttled - 9to5Mac

Attempts to fight the net neutrality repeal continue as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has been ordered by a court to examine the impacts of repealing the protection. One incident that may prove significant is when Verizon throttled data service to a fire service vehicle in a way that hampered its ability to fight wildfires… Engadget reports that although an appeal against the repeal of net neutrality failed, the court did order the FCC to determine whether the loss of the legal protections had had any negative impacts, including any safety issues. ...
https://9to5mac.com/2020/02/21/net-neutrality-repeal/

Democrats reveal plan to Save the Internet, and it's going to be a big headache for Mitch McConnell - Daily Kos

On Monday, the Democratic Party leadership informed the public that they would be unveiling their "Save the Net" legislation to re-install net neutrality consumer protections rolled back under Donald Trump. On Wednesday, they have released a three page bill. The Bill, titled "To restore the open internet order of the Federal Communications Commission," or "Save the Internet Act of 2019," seeks to simply reinstate those protections rolled back by the Republican FCC...
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1840045

Too Much Meat! (Opening Arguments podcast OA230)

Today’s deep-dive Tuesday tackles that viral case caption you’ve probably seen floating around Twitter: “United States v. 1,855.6 pounds of American Paddlefish Meat.” Is the sack of fish meat really going to have to show up in court? Will it have a lawyer??!? Listen and find out!

We begin, however, with a roundup of all the lawsuits filed against Matthew Whitaker, including the most recent one brought by Senators Blumenthal and Hirono. Oh, and we check with an op-ed written by… the Torture Guy? What’s going on here??

The main segment delves into in rem jurisdiction in order to explain the “paddlefish meat” caption. If you like legal minutiae — and let’s be honest, you’re listening to this podcast — you’ll love this segment.

Then, it’s time for a truly great listener question holding Andrew’s feet to the fire on Net Neutrality and the Munsingwear doctrine. It’s not an Andrew Was Wrong, but it is an… Andrew Could Have Explained That Better? Either way, you won’t want to miss it.

Finally, we end with the answer to Thomas Takes The Bar Exam #102 on hearsay. Find out if Thomas’s coin can pass the bar exam! And as always, remember to follow our Twitter feed (@Openargs) and like our Facebook Page so that you too can play along with #TTTBE!
Interview:
https://openargs.com/oa230-too-much-meat/

Dems demand answers from AT&T, Verizon and Sprint on internet throttling claims - The Hill

The study lawmakers cited was conducted by the app WeHe found that Verizon, AT&T and Sprint throttled web traffic from a range of popular video services such as YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime, NBC Sports and Skype. ....
https://thehill.com/policy/technology/417168-dem-senators-want-answers-from-att-verizon-and-sprint-on-alleged-internet

The FCC lied to Congress about an alleged cyberattack and didn’t come clean until now - The Verge

DOJ declined to prosecute officials in December ....
https://www.theverge.com/2018/8/8/17664386/fcc-net-neutrality-ddos-attack-congress-doj

Senators Demand FCC Answer for Fake Comments After Realizing Their Identities Were Stolen

In a bipartisan letter on Monday, two US senators called on the FCC to investigate the identity theft and fraud in public comments collected by the agency during its proposal to rollback net neutrality protections last year.....

https://gizmodo.com/senators-demand-fcc-answer-for-fake-comments-after-real-1826213294

Preserve Net Neutrality: All Data is Created Equal (John Donvan, Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates)

What if a single policy could impact American democracy, culture, and competitiveness? What if that policy might either empower citizens and consumers, or burden them? And what if the decision on that policy sparked a frenzy of legislative proposals, judicial challenges, and citizen outrage, all across the country?

The Federal Communications Commission’s decision to end net neutrality regulations has fueled a national debate about the future of the internet. Adopted in 2015, net neutrality promised to preserve the democratic spirit of the web by ensuring that all data would be treated equally, regardless of where it originated. Under these regulations, internet service providers (ISPs) such as Verizon, Comcast and AT&T, the corporate giants who deliver the internet into our homes, could supply web infrastructure, but could not preference how data passed through it. Denying them that power, supporters argue, remains critical to ensuring that users and content-creators can discover ideas and information without censorship, or charges, from these prospective gatekeepers. After all, no person should have to pay for every video streamed on YouTube; no startup should be hobbled against established companies who buy faster access to consumers; and no minority voice should have its ideas throttled by wealthier interests.

On the other hand, net neutrality opponents argue that the genius of the Internet has been its individually driven, organic development, free from the heavy hand of so-called net neutrality. These burdensome regulations constitute dangerous governmental overreach, stifle innovation, and spike costs for both consumers and providers. The result, they maintain, will be a less interesting, less democratic, less innovative web. Moreover, Americans will enjoy uninterrupted access to their favorite sites – without net neutrality – because ISPs make more money from an open, rather than closed, internet. Consequently, the backlash against the FCC’s decision is overblown, and ending net neutrality is the right policy for the future of America’s internet.
Interview:
https://www.intelligencesquaredus.org/debates/preserve-net-neutrality-all-data-created-equal
https://youtu.be/aWE6z2p1opE

Was $200,000 from AT&T enough to buy off Trump and Ajit Pai on net neutrality repeal? - Daily Kos

This week Senate Democrats will force a vote to restore net neutrality on the Senate floor. Proponents currently have the backing of 47 Democrats and two independents who caucus with Democrats as well as Republican Senator Susan Collins. With the prolonged absence of Senator John McCain due to illness, proponents believe they will win on a 50-49 vote. What great timing! ....
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1763100

$20 porn-unblocking fee could hit Internet users if state bill becomes law - Ars Technica

The opposite of net neutrality: R.I. bill requires blocking and a $20 porn fee. ....
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/03/20-porn-unblocking-fee-could-hit-internet-users-if-state-bill-becomes-law/

Washington state’s net neutrality law is the beginning of a big headache for Internet providers - The Washington Post

Washington has become the first state in the nation to enact its own net neutrality rules that impose strict requirements on Internet providers, making it illegal for broadband companies to block or slow down websites.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2018/03/06/washington-states-net-neutrality-law-is-the-beginning-of-a-big-headache-for-internet-providers/

FCC Boss Being Investigated For Potential Corruption | DSLReports, ISP Information

FCC boss Ajit Pai is being investigated by his own agency for potential corruption. Pai is already facing multiple inquiries into his rushed repeal of net neutrality and the shady events that occurred during it. Now he's facing an additional investigation into whether he gutted decades-old media consolidation rules exclusively to benefit Sinclair Broadcasting.....
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/FCC-Boss-Being-Investigated-For-Potential-Corruption-141261

The net neutrality app that Apple rejected is now available on the App Store -- BGR

With the Obama-era net neutrality rules on life support as Senate Democrats search for one more vote to potentially halt the repeal process, one mobile app is trying to hold carriers accountable for throttling certain services. Developed by Northeastern University researcher David Choffnes, Wehe runs tests on multiple popular streaming apps (YouTube, Amazon, NBCSports, Netflix,...
http://bgr.com/2018/01/19/net-neutrality-app-apple-app-store-available-now/

OA126: Mick Mulvaney & The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Opening Arguments podcast)

Today’s episode breaks down the recent kerfuffle over the simultaneous claims of Leandra English and Mick Mulvaney to be Acting Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

First, we begin with an “Andrew Was Wrong (?)” segment that gives voice to an anti-Net Neutrality argument, a clarification on the Obama administration’s antitrust policies, and a factual clarification on the Anheuser-Busch/InBev merger.

After the main segment, Andrew and Thomas answer a fun question about speeding and evidence AND tease the upcoming Law’d Awful Movies #13.

Finally, we end with an all-new Thomas Takes the Bar Exam Question #52 about the constitutionality of a cigarette tax and accompanying program. Remember that you can play along with #TTTBE by retweeting our episode on Twitter or sharing it on Facebook along with your guess. We’ll release the answer on next Tuesday’s episode along with our favorite entry!
Interview:
https://openargs.com/oa126-mick-mulvaney-consumer-financial-protection-bureau/

Trump and his FCC lackey, Ajit Pai, just blundered into a very big net neutrality fight

The fight to preserve net neutrality is far from over. The FCC voted last month to end it, but still has to submit its new rule to the Office of Management and Budget and print it in the Federal Register.....
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/1/11/1731965/-Trump-and-his-FCC-lackey-Ajit-Pai-just-blundered-into-a-very-big-net-neutrality-fight

OA125: Net Neutrality And Antitrust, Part One (Opening Arguments podcast)

Today’s episode takes two deep dives into complicated legal issues in the news.

First, we tackle the FCC’s recent “Order Restoring Internet Freedom,” which is being characterized as ending Net Neutrality. Is that true? The answer… probably won’t surprise you, actually.

Then, Andrew and Thomas discuss general principles of antitrust law with an eye towards the recent news that the Trump Department of Justice has sued to block the AT&T/Time Warner merger.

Finally, we close with the answer to Thomas Takes the Bar Exam Question #51 involving class action lawsuits in Tenntucky. Don’t forget to following our Twitter feed (@Openargs) and like our Facebook Page so that you too can play along with #TTTBE!
Interview:
https://openargs.com/oa125-net-neutrality-antitrust-part-one/

Senate Democrats will force a vote on restoring net neutrality

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) promised Democrats would force a vote in the Senate to restore net neutrality rules, and within a few weeks, enough Democrats signed on to do just that....
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/1/8/1730868/-Senate-Democrats-will-force-a-vote-on-net-neutrality

OA130: California On Fire (Opening Arguments podcast)

Today’s episode talks about the disastrous wildfires that have ravaged Thomas’s home state of California, and who winds up footing the bills for these disasters. It’s exactly as much insurance law as you wanted to learn!

First, we begin with some news items, including an update on the Net Neutrality vote, a new mega-merger, and the Supreme Court’s denial of certiorari in Evans v. Georgia Regional Hospital, a case we discussed back in Episode 112.

After the main segment, Andrew and Thomas also update on the pending tax bill and some other items in the news.

Finally, we end with an all-new Thomas Takes the Bar Exam Question #54 about witness statements and overlapping privileges. Remember that you can play along with #TTTBE by retweeting our episode on Twitter or sharing it on Facebook along with your guess. We’ll release the answer on next Tuesday’s episode along with our favorite entry!
Interview:
https://openargs.com/oa130-california-fire/

Now That The FCC Is Doing Away With Title II For Broadband, Will Verizon Give Back The Taxpayer Subsidies It Got Under Title II? | Techdirt

Now that the FCC has done as it said it was going to do and declared that broadband internet is properly classified under Title I of the Communications Act, rather than Title II, I'm left wondering if taxpayers will be getting back all the subsidies that we provided Verizon, AT&T and others when they claimed that their broadband networks should be classified under Title II in order to qualify for those subsidies. You may recall that we wrote about this three years ago, highlighting multiple examples where Verizon specifically begged for Title II classification of its fiber-to-the-premise networks in multiple cities to guarantee that it would get these subsidies.....
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20171219/17150338850/now-that-fcc-is-doing-away-with-title-ii-broadband-will-verizon-give-back-taxpayer-subsidies-it-got-under-title-ii.shtml

This is Why We Need Net Neutrality (Time Warner Rep Tells All)

Classic Interview: "Jackie Keaton," a former Time Warner Cable retention agent, joins David to discuss training and techniques employed by Time Warner to prevent people from canceling their service....
Interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04mb_UKeoZY&feature=youtu.be