FCC Tells Court it has no "Legal Authority" to Impose Net Neutrality Rules:
FCC defends repeal in court, claims broadband isn't "telecommunications."
The Federal Communications Commission opened its defense of its net neutrality repeal yesterday, telling a court that it has no authority to keep the net neutrality rules in place.
Chairman Ajit Pai's FCC argued that broadband is not a "telecommunications service" as defined in federal law, and therefore it must be classified as an information service instead. As an information service, broadband cannot be subject to common carrier regulations such as net neutrality rules, Pai's FCC said. The FCC is only allowed to impose common carrier regulations on telecommunications services.
"Given these classification decisions, the Commission determined that the Communications Act does not endow it with legal authority to retain the former conduct rules," the FCC said in a summary of its defense [pdf] filed yesterday in the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
The FCC is defending the net neutrality repeal against a lawsuit filed by more than 20 state attorneys general, consumer advocacy groups, and tech companies. The FCC's opponents in the case will file reply briefs next month, and oral arguments are scheduled for February.
Then why not let the states implement it?
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Pslytely Psycho on Sunday October 14 2018, @08:47PM (2 children)
Not if it's a liberal state. They might do things like make Maryjane legal or Net Neutrality or give gay people rights, or raise minimum wages.
Of course they're good with voter suppression, destroying Planned Parenthood, making sure you don't do anything unholy in your bedroom and incarcerating children.
You know, all those Godly things.
http://www.politicsplus.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/0612reublican-jesus.jpg [politicsplus.org]
Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.
(Score: 2, Disagree) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday October 15 2018, @12:10AM (1 child)
You're a decade or three behind the times in your criticisms of Republicans. The only one still valid is the minimum wage bit and that's just them disagreeing rather than trying to force states to keep a low minimum wage.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 15 2018, @01:19AM
Really? So they're no longer in favor of the federal war on drugs?