# Net neutrality is half-dead: Court strikes down FCC’s anti-blocking rules



## qubit (Jan 14, 2014)

This isn't good. Not good at all. As if website paywalls weren't bad enough, the open internet as we know it is going to die in the name of vested interests of large, wealthy corporations. 



> The Federal Communication Commission's net neutrality rules were partially struck down today by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which said the Commission did not properly justify its anti-discrimination and anti-blocking rules.
> 
> Those rules in the Open Internet Order, adopted in 2010, forbid ISPs from blocking services or charging content providers for access to the network. Verizon challenged the entire order and got a big victory in today's ruling. While it could still be appealed to the Supreme Court, the order today would allow pay-for-prioritization deals that could let Verizon or other ISPs charge companies like Netflix for a faster path to consumers.



Read the rest at Ars Technica

*EDIT*

Here's an interesting explanation of the whole situation from someone who understands this at a deeper level:

http://www.slate.com/articles/techn...ling_the_battle_s_been_lost_but_we_can.1.html

*EDIT*

Netflix potentially stuffed by this:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/01/15/netflix-net-neutrality-costs/4491117/


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## RCoon (Jan 14, 2014)

You got to love the lobbying that the government's claim don't happen. Reminds me of this big old porn filter than David Cameron pushed in the UK. Just so happened it was designed by his best buddy who owns Tiscali, and they had dinner at David's house the week before the announcement.


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## remixedcat (Jan 14, 2014)

#thanksobama


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## RCoon (Jan 14, 2014)

remixedcat said:


> #thanksobama



By far my favourite american catchphrase.
Free healthcare?
Oh gee #thanksobama


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## qubit (Jan 15, 2014)

This terrible precedent will lead to adverts that go something like this:

With Verizon 30Mb Broadband, you get high speed access to the best of the Web, including Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Apple and Microsoft stores, eBay, Netflix and Google* all for the low price of $80/month!

*All other websites and downloads will run at 0.5Mb 6pm-12pm and 1.5Mb all other times. Unapproved websites will not be accessible at all.

Sounds nasty, doesn't it? Unless this is somehow stopped, this will come and the end of the open internet will be here.

But what about getting round it with VPN you may ask. This may get around the censorship for a while until Verizon figure out a way to block this (MITM SSL attack, perhaps?) but it will do nothing to get round the severe speed throttling.


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## FordGT90Concept (Jan 16, 2014)

If it went to the SCOTUS, I don't think the SCOTUS would rule in favor of the people either so yeah, we're pretty much screwed.  It's time to socialize the internet in the USA so the government has the authority to put in place net neutrality rules and enforce them.  The problem here is that the government can't compel private companies to not prioritize traffic.




remixedcat said:


> #thanksobama


This has nothing to do with Obama.  The FCC put the rules in place under its own authority and Verizon took the FCC to court because they didn't want to comply.


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## DRDNA (Jan 16, 2014)

I have a feeling that stuff is going to hit the fan way b4 any of this can actually happen. I agree though that Corporation in the Provider field backed this with lobby $.


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## qubit (Jan 16, 2014)

In other words people, bullshit walks, money talks.


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## FordGT90Concept (Jan 16, 2014)

Here's another source:
http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/15/tech/web/net-neutrality-explained/index.html?hpt=hp_t2


> The court said that the government is tasked with overseeing crucial utilities like telephone service and electricity, but that the Internet isn't considered to be one of those utilities under current law.


In other words, it's Congress that needs to act giving FCC the authority to enforce net neutrality rules.  I think this will happen eventually as the old farts retire/die from Congress and the "millennials" move in.  The question is how long will we have to suffer shady business practices until then?

The FCC will appeal but the SCOTUS will probably say the same thing: Congress needs to act.


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## Fourstaff (Jan 16, 2014)

I see why Google is installing fibre everywhere


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## Kantastic (Jan 16, 2014)

Fourstaff said:


> I see why Google is installing fibre everywhere



If only that were true...


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## AsRock (Jan 16, 2014)

qubit said:


> This terrible precedent will lead to adverts that go something like this:
> 
> With Verizon 30Mb Broadband, you get high speed access to the best of the Web, including Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Apple and Microsoft stores, eBay, Netflix and Google* all for the low price of $80/month!
> 
> ...



And the UK government like following the US government if the people are with or against it lol.


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## qubit (Jan 16, 2014)

AsRock said:


> And the UK government like following the US government if the people are with or against it lol.


Wot, u mean we don't have no democracy here and it's just an illusion? 

Nevva!


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## Vario (Jan 16, 2014)

RCoon said:


> By far my favourite american catchphrase.
> Free healthcare?
> Oh gee #thanksobama


To hold to the catchphrase,

#ronpaul


as if the executive branch has anything to do with a circuit judicial court.


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## RCoon (Jan 17, 2014)

qubit said:


> Wot, u mean we don't have no democracy here and it's just an illusion?
> 
> Nevva!


 
What's a Democracy? - Said every UK citizen, ever.


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## DRDNA (Jan 17, 2014)

Netflix exposed as net neutrality rules gutted
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/01/15/netflix-net-neutrality-costs/4491117/


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## qubit (Jan 17, 2014)

Nice find DRDNA. I've added the link to my OP.


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## DRDNA (Jan 19, 2014)

Heres some more good follow up on what the FCC may do.

Solving the Net Neutrality Problem Is Actually Simple

http://www.businessweek.com/article...is-actually-very-very-simple?campaign_id=yhoo


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## DRDNA (Jan 20, 2014)

This is what the Internet will be like without net neutrality according to yahoo news.

http://news.yahoo.com/internet-without-net-neutrality-183628642.html


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## Ahhzz (Jan 20, 2014)

FordGT90Concept said:


> If it went to the SCOTUS, I don't think the SCOTUS would rule in favor of the people either so yeah, we're pretty much screwed.  It's time to socialize the internet in the USA so the government has the authority to put in place net neutrality rules and enforce them.  The problem here is that the government can't compel private companies to not prioritize traffic.
> 
> 
> 
> This has nothing to do with Obama.  The FCC put the rules in place under its own authority and Verizon took the FCC to court because they didn't want to comply.


As much as people love to blame Obama for the mess Bush left us with, as well as his own fiascos, this is all on us and congress. If they'd pass some updated laws that don't concern telegraph, we might be a little better off.


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## DRDNA (Jan 29, 2014)

http://news.yahoo.com/video/netflix-rally-cry-100543591.html


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## TheMailMan78 (Jan 29, 2014)

FordGT90Concept said:


> If it went to the SCOTUS, I don't think the SCOTUS would rule in favor of the people either so yeah, we're pretty much screwed.  It's time to socialize the internet in the USA so the government has the authority to put in place net neutrality rules and enforce them.  The problem here is that the government can't compel private companies to not prioritize traffic.
> 
> This has nothing to do with Obama.  The FCC put the rules in place under its own authority and Verizon took the FCC to court because they didn't want to comply.


In the end the FCC is under control of the executive branch. The US government has been circumventing the constitution via regulation for a very long time. To say this is Obama or congresses fault is naïve. Congress makes the laws. President enforces them how its written (Or should). This was put under the FCC control via congress and now the executive branch has discretion on how the FCC enforces it. Its the entire establishments fault.

This is why the constitution means nothing anymore. Our government rules via regulation created by agencies that make them without a vote of congress. Congress of course allows these agencies to be made so they can wash their hands of any strong arming by the executive branch against the people and keep the lie of a "democracy" going. Combine this with open to interpretation law language and you have a dictatorship or ruling class elites living outside of the law while us serfs deal with a new form of slavery.

How do the people put up with this? Simple. MSNBC, Fox News and just about all forms of media. We have the largest propaganda machines ever known to man. As long as the government can pit "Liberal" against "Conservative" and Democrat against Republican we will always be in the mind set of our team vs. your team. Our tribe vs. your tribe. All the while we share the same shackles of slavery by the ruling class of Neo-Socialist A$$HOLES. Its not Red vs. Blue. Pro-Choice vs. Pro-Life. Its the masses vs. a very small percentage of people who work in the District of Columbia. Once people realize this......IF they ever realize this we will know true liberty and freedom again. The world will respect us again and not have to live in fear.

I hope my kids live to see this day. I just hope I'm young enough to help.


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## Steevo (Jan 30, 2014)

If they want to provide free internet and run that with ads, and limitations I'm OK with it, but have a paid unlimited option available. 

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/UTP_Programs.html

And since we are already paying for it through taxes.........


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## DRDNA (Feb 11, 2014)

Looks like they are choking speeds already.

http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/10/5...x-is-source-of-frustration-for-slow-streaming


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## DRDNA (Feb 12, 2014)

Netflix and Google getting ready for battle!

http://www.wired.com/business/2014/02/google-save-netflix-net-neutrality-fight/?mbid=synd_yfinance


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## the54thvoid (Feb 12, 2014)

TheMailMan78 said:


> In the end the FCC is under control of the executive branch. The US government has been circumventing the constitution via regulation for a very long time. To say this is Obama or congresses fault is naïve. Congress makes the laws. President enforces them how its written (Or should). This was put under the FCC control via congress and now the executive branch has discretion on how the FCC enforces it. Its the entire establishments fault.
> 
> This is why the constitution means nothing anymore. Our government rules via regulation created by agencies that make them without a vote of congress. Congress of course allows these agencies to be made so they can wash their hands of any strong arming by the executive branch against the people and keep the lie of a "democracy" going. Combine this with open to interpretation law language and you have a dictatorship or ruling class elites living outside of the law while us serfs deal with a new form of slavery.
> 
> ...



Not to pick a fight but it has nothing to do with socialism or neo-socialism.  This has everything to do with minority power and rule by wealth.   I hear US folks blame 'x' socialism on everything but the hoarding of centralised power and wealth is not socialism.  No political system works for all and this Net Neutrality issue is a simply issue of business greed and vociferant lobbying.  Even the constitution is nonsense.  It was written in pre technological times with all good intentions but has little bearing on the reality of modern life.  Whether you're a capitalist (we all are), or a commie, a democrat or a dick - political ideologies are always broken by the indiscriminate nature of our human greed.  It has and always will be the 'haves' versus the 'have nots'.


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## FordGT90Concept (Feb 12, 2014)

I think internet is a rare exception where socialization is a good thing.  Look at the highway system: it is socialized and we all use it.  The internet is becoming, if not already has become, just as important to first-world economies as the highway system.  It makes sense to give everyone access to the same services which extends to modernizing the 9-1-1 and USPS systems.  It could even be used to modernize the power grid.  Let's not forget that the people can regulate the infrastructure as well instead of private entities (net neutrality and privacy would have to be in its founding charter).  Socializing the internet also pays for itself through economic growth just like the highway system.

By keeping the internet system private, individuals get shafted.


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## DRDNA (Feb 20, 2014)

Now the hammer because the money greedy players imo have already started to choke speeds of certain sites.

Verizon and Comcast Respond To The FCC's New Net Neutrality Rules

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/fcc-rules-preventing-companies-slowing-165248995.html


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## Ahhzz (Feb 20, 2014)

What a crock. "No, we don't need rules to tell us how to behave, we _promise_ we'll be good! We won't do _any_thing like reducing speeds or limiting bandwidth...." Bullshite.


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