Net neutrality advocates prepare to face FCC in court over what "internet was meant to be"

[Judi Lynn]

FCC will become the latest Trump-era federal agency to find itself in court

By WASHINGTON POST | [e-mail] and BRIAN FUNG |
PUBLISHED: February 3, 2019 at 12:41 pm | UPDATED: February 3, 2019 at 12:49 pm


The fate of the internet will once again rest in the hands of three federal judges when they hear oral arguments Friday in a pivotal challenge to the Federal Communications Commission.

From a sixth-floor courtroom in downtown Washington, FCC lawyers will argue that the agency acted correctly last year when it officially took its net neutrality rules off the books – legally clearing the way for internet providers to speed up, slow down or block apps and websites, if they choose.

State and local officials, tech companies and consumer groups are urging the court to countermand the FCC, saying the agency’s decision is based on a faulty analysis and flawed reasoning. Without the protection of the net neutrality rules, supporters say, internet providers will be unconstrained in their ability to steer customers toward proprietary or partner services, reshaping the internet to their own commercial benefit and to the detriment of ordinary users.

“This wasn’t how the internet was meant to be,” said Denelle Dixon, COO of Mozilla, which makes the Firefox web browser and is leading the court fight against the FCC. “An internet that enables consumer choice necessarily protects net neutrality. Without protecting net neutrality, (broadband providers) will control the internet experiences of everyone. And that cannot be what happens.”

More:
https://www.denverpost.com/2019/02/03/net-neutrality-fcc-supreme-court/