Supreme Court ends fight over Obama-era net neutrality rules

[Swordsmyth]

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused a request by the Trump administration and the telecommunications industry to wipe away a lower court decision that had upheld Obama-era net neutrality rules aimed at ensuring a free and open internet, though the justices' action does not undo the 2017 repeal of the policy.The high court decision not to throw out the 2016 U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruling leaves a legal precedent in place that could help net neutrality supporters in any future legal battle if that policy is ever re-introduced.
The rules championed by Democratic former President Barack Obama, intended to safeguard equal access to content on the internet, were opposed by President Donald Trump, a Republican.
The Trump administration and the telecom industry had wanted to erase the 2016 ruling even though the Republican-led Federal Communications Commission in December voted to repeal the net neutrality rules. The policy reversal went into effect in June.
The Supreme Court's brief order noted that three of the court's conservative justices - Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch - would have thrown out the appeals court decision. Neither Chief Justice John Roberts nor new Trump appointee Brett Kavanaugh participated in the decision.
Industry trade group USTelecom, one of the groups that challenged the 2015 net neutrality rules, said the high court's action was "not surprising." USTelecom said it would "continue to support" the repeal "from challenges in Washington, D.C. and state capitals."

More at: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/u-supreme-court-ends-fight-over-obama-era-144751852--finance.html

[spudea]

Why did Roberts and Kav recuse?

[kpitcher]

That's good. I view the legislated monopoly system of the telcom providers as a serious threat to our continued freedom to access whatever we as users want. Since we as citizens have paid hundreds of billions in subsidies to the telco companies for their lines net neutrality should be an option that keeps them scared enough to act responsibly.

[Grandmastersexsay]

That's good. I view the legislated monopoly system of the telcom providers as a serious threat to our continued freedom to access whatever we as users want. Since we as citizens have paid hundreds of billions in subsidies to the telco companies for their lines net neutrality should be an option that keeps them scared enough to act responsibly.

Exactly! Get the government more involved! What could go wrong?

[kpitcher]

Exactly! Get the government more involved! What could go wrong?

the thing is the government has been involved from day one, we subsidized, we gave hundreds of billions in tax breaks, for contracts that were never met. According to promises huge numbers of homes in America should have had fiber to their home decades ago. Too much money has been given to make anyone actually investigate these breaches of contract. The government further legislates territories for these monopolies.


We have 2 choices

1) allow a 400+ billion of our tax money to be written off, large crony capitalism companies can do as they please to silence any voice or competition they want
2) Force these taxpayer assisted companies to keep packets flowing like the internet has done since the start, don't allow them to pick the winners, force net neutrality.


I'd be all for any company to pay back what they owe us and then be allowed to do as they please. Until then it's not a free market at work and we can be controlled easily.

Look at the uproar of gab being forced to relocate servers, find alternate funding sources. It won't surprise me when facebook strikes a deal with the major internet companies and any other social media simply doesn't load, or loads so slow it will make people not use them.

So yes, net neutrality, until the internet backbone actually exists in a free market form.