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Net Neutrality

Net neutrality is a set of rules adopted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) which say Internet Service Providers (ISPs) such as Comcast, Time Warner, AT&T, and Verizon, cannot block, throttle, or prioritize certain content on the Internet.

Net Neutrality | Pros, Cons, Debate, Arguments, Censorship, & Internet  Encyclopedia Britannica Major U.K. ISP Calls for End to U.K.’s Net Neutrality Rules  Broadband Breakfast The First Amendment and the Future of Net Neutrality  American Enterprise Institute - AEI DoT asks TRAI to review net neutrality framework citing emerging tech, market transformation  Daily Pioneer As DoT asks TRAI to review net neutrality rules, here’s how Jio is approaching network slicing  MediaNama VMO2 calls for net-neutrality overhaul to boost innovation  telecomtv.com Whatever happened to net neutrality?  Tangle News EU’s Digital Networks Act Leaves Big Tech Untouched, Sparks Net Neutrality Concerns  Tech Policy Press Red Alert for Net Neutrality  New America The EU Commission is gutting net neutrality  European Digital Rights (EDRi) Government reviews net neutrality rules to enable 5G network slicing services  The Economic Times Net neutrality was back, until it wasn’t  The Verge EBU calls on EU lawmakers preserve radio in cars and net neutrality in the Digital Networks Act  EBU Trump admin demands states exempt ISPs from net neutrality and price laws  Ars Technica India’s Net Neutrality Rules Were Made For A Different Era. Is It Time For A Rewrite?  News18 Cover Net Neutrality  Media Matters for America Government considers revision of net neutrality rules to accommodate 5G network slicing  tele.net.in OTI Condemns Misleading Net Neutrality Report  New America Roth: No State Net Neutrality, Affordability Laws for BEAD Participants  Broadband Breakfast Who gets faster Internet? India's net world may soon have first class and economy  The Economic Times The Downside of Net Neutrality  Scientific American Net Neutrality 2 (2017)  IMDb Airtel’s 5G Fast Lane forces India to define net neutrality  Communications Today Deutsche Telekom case shines light on ‘two-speed’ internet  EUobserver Don’t be fooled: Net neutrality is about more than just blocking and throttling  brookings.edu Will AI trigger the end of net neutrality?  City AM The FCC is Expected to Propose the Return of Net Neutrality Protections Oct 19th - Let’s Hope They Get it Right!  Electronic Frontier Foundation Net neutrality is back: U.S. promises fast, safe and reliable internet for all  NPR AI makes the fight for net neutrality even more important  brookings.edu The End of Net Neutrality  Cato Institute The Myth of Net Neutrality and the Reality of Network Management  American Enterprise Institute - AEI The FCC’s Groundhog Day: The mistake of bringing back net neutrality  Americans for Prosperity The Net Neutrality Debate Is Back!  spectrum.ieee.org The Uncertain Future of Net Neutrality and Internet Regulation  Pryor Cashman LLP Net neutrality is struck, ending a long battle to regulate ISPs like public utilities  NPR Chairwoman Rosenworcel Archive: Net Neutrality  Federal Communications Commission (.gov) US appeals court blocks Biden administration effort to restore net-neutrality rules  Reuters F.C.C. Votes to Restore Net Neutrality Rules (Published 2024)  The New York Times FCC to vote on net neutrality rules on April 25  StateScoop Net Neutrality Violations: A History of Abuse  freepress.net US court blocks Biden administration net neutrality rules  Reuters Myths vs. Facts: Net Neutrality  American Legislative Exchange Council Public Interest Groups Won’t Take Net Neutrality Case to Supreme Court Now  Broadband Breakfast Why Net Neutrality Can’t Wait  American Civil Liberties Union Net Neutrality Rules Struck Down by Appeals Court (Published 2025)  The New York Times F.C.C. Repeals Net Neutrality Rules (Published 2017)  The New York Times Net Neutrality May Finally Be Dead—Good Riddance  City Journal Public Interest Groups Quiet on Net Neutrality Ahead of Aug. 8 Supreme Court Deadline  Broadband Breakfast Kessler bill to establish net neutrality standards in Maine is now law  Maine.gov Net Neutrality Is and Has Always Been a Bipartisan Issue  New America Net Neutrality Explained  NYU Law School In Rush Order — and Without Public Comment — Trump FCC Removes Net Neutrality Rules  freepress.net India may let telecoms offer faster internet for gaming: Report | TRAI asked for recommendations on rule changes | Inshorts  Inshorts Federal court decision won’t change California net neutrality law  Los Angeles Times What the Reinstatement of Net Neutrality Means for Higher Education  EdTech Magazine What Is Net Neutrality? Myths and Realities  freepress.net Kavanaugh on net neutrality: U.S. Telecom Association v. Federal Communications Commission  SCOTUSblog How Big Tech Uses Net Neutrality To Subvert Competition  promarket.org Court strikes down US net neutrality rules  BBC Net neutrality restored as FCC votes to regulate internet providers  AP News Internet Regulation Is Back: FCC Refuses to Retire "Net Neutrality" Rules  Cato Institute Net neutrality is back. What does that mean for schools?  K-12 Dive Sixth Circuit Appeals Court Stays the FCC's Net Neutrality Rules  Broadband Breakfast FCC Votes to Restore Net Neutrality  Common Cause Whatever happened to Net Neutrality?  Washington Policy Center Major Questions on Net Neutrality  cei.org Carr Eliminates Already Defunct Net Neutrality Regulations  Broadband Breakfast Net neutrality rules reinstatement temporarily halted by US appeals court  Reuters Net Neutrality is Back: A Legal Perspective on the FCC’s Recent Vote to Reinstate Neutrality  Spencer Fane Court Upholds Net Neutrality Repeal, With Some Caveats (Published 2019)  The New York Times Net neutrality rules restored by US agency, reversing Trump  Reuters Sixth Circuit Strikes Down FCC Net Neutrality Rules  Inside Global Tech Sixth Circuit strikes down new neutrality regulation  Mackinac Center EFF and 80 Organizations Call on EU Policymakers to Preserve Net Neutrality in the Digital Networks Act  Electronic Frontier Foundation Net neutrality advocates won’t appeal loss, say they don’t trust Supreme Court  Ars Technica The FCC Can’t Give You Net Neutrality  The Federalist Society Twitch Shuts Down in South Korea: A Reminder of Why We Fight For Net Neutrality  Public Knowledge Senator Wiener’s Net Neutrality Law is Upheld by Federal Appeals Court  Senator Scott Wiener (.gov) Groups ask US court to reconsider ruling blocking net neutrality rules  Reuters Net neutrality rules about corporate control over internet speeds blocked by federal appeals court  cbsnews.com Net neutrality is back as FCC votes to regulate internet providers | CNN Business  CNN Understanding Net Neutrality  Third Way UPDATE: Net Neutrality Open Internet Order Set Aside  Davis Wright Tremaine FCC net neutrality rule among first to fall in Loper Bright’s aftermath  legaldive.com HB 1582: Net Neutrality  ACLU of Illinois Net Neutrality is Back! – Open Policy & Advocacy  The Mozilla Blog Net neutrality is back: FCC bars broadband providers from meddling with internet speed  cbsnews.com FCC Refuses to Stay Net Neutrality Rules, Setting Up Court Battle  Broadband Breakfast Content Delivery Networks Want to Be Excluded From Net Neutrality Rules  Broadband Breakfast Net neutrality is dead — welcome to the age of ‘pay-to-play’ and premium access  The Hill FCC Votes to Adopt Order Reinstating Net Neutrality Rules  akingump.com Court Pulls Plug on Net Neutrality  Tech Policy Press Key GOP Lawmakers Ask Court to Void FCC’s Net Neutrality Rules  Broadband Breakfast Netflix Reenters Fight Over Open Internet Rules as Government Anticipates Restoring Net Neutrality  The Hollywood Reporter Opposition to Net Neutrality Was Faked, New York Says (Published 2021)  The New York Times A Case Against Net Neutrality  spectrum.ieee.org The FCC Restores Net Neutrality. What It Means for the Internet  wsj.com What the End of Net Neutrality Actually Means  Knowledge at Wharton FCC Rollback of Net Neutrality Rules Is Partly Upheld by Appeals Court  wsj.com Sixth Circuit to Keep Net Neutrality Case in Cincinnati, a Win for ISPs  Broadband Breakfast

What is Net Neutrality?

Net neutrality is the principle that Internet service providers must treat all data on the Internet the same, and not discriminate or charge differently by user, content, website, platform, application, type of attached equipment, or method of communication. For instance, under these principles, internet service providers are unable to intentionally block, slow down or charge money for specific websites and online content.

The term was coined by Columbia University media law professor Tim Wu in 2003, as an extension of the longstanding concept of a common carrier, which was used to describe the role of telephone systems.

A widely cited example of a violation of net neutrality principles was the Internet service provider Comcast's secret slowing ("throttling") of uploads from peer-to-peer file sharing (P2P) applications by using forged packets. Comcast did not stop blocking these protocols, like BitTorrent, until the FCC ordered them to stop. In another minor example, The Madison River Communications company was fined US$15,000 by the FCC, in 2004, for restricting their customers' access to Vonage, which was rivaling their own services. AT&T was also caught limiting access to FaceTime, so only those users who paid for AT&T's new shared data plans could access the application. In July 2017, Verizon Wireless was accused of throttling after users noticed that videos played on Netflix and Youtube were slower than usual, though Verizon commented that it was conducting "network testing" and that net neutrality rules permit "reasonable network management practices".

Research suggests that a combination of policy instruments will help realize the range of valued political and economic objectives central to the network neutrality debate. Combined with strong public opinion, this has led some governments to regulate broadband Internet services as a public utility, similar to the way electricity, gas, and the water supply are regulated, along with limiting providers and regulating the options those providers can offer.