By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. appeals court said on Friday it has temporarily halted the Federal Communications Commission’s reinstatement of landmark net neutrality rules until Aug. 5 while it considers legal challenges from the broadband industry.
The Federal Communications Commission voted in April along party lines to resume regulatory oversight of broadband internet and reinstate open internet rules that were repealed in 2017 under then-President Donald Trump.
The rules were originally adopted in 2015, and were set to go into effect again on July 22 until an order from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, which said the delay was necessary “to provide adequate opportunity to consider the merits” of the request to halt the rules while the legal challenge continued.
The Federal Communications Commission did not immediately comment on the matter Friday.
Net neutrality rules require ISPs to treat Internet data and users equally rather than restricting access, slowing speeds, or blocking content for certain users. The rules also prohibit special arrangements under which ISPs give enhanced network speeds or access to favored users.
The rules prohibit internet service providers from blocking or slowing traffic to certain websites, or engaging in paid prioritization of legal content, as well as giving the FCC new tools to crack down on Chinese telecom companies and the ability to monitor internet outages.
Re-imposing net neutrality has been a priority for President Joe Biden, who signed an executive order in July 2021 encouraging the Federal Communications Commission to reinstate rules adopted in 2015 under President Barack Obama, a fellow Democrat.
Under Trump, the FCC has argued that net neutrality rules are unnecessary, stifle innovation and lead to lower investment in the network by internet service providers, a claim that Democrats dispute.