Verizon Sues FCC Over Net Neutrality Rules 275
The Washington Post reports that Verizon has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission over the net neutrality rules they adopted last month. Quoting:
"Verizon argues that the FCC does not have the legal authority to mandate how Internet service providers treat content on their networks. A legal challenge was widely expected, and the FCC has said it thinks Congress enabled the agency to pursue its rules under several interpretations of telecommunications laws. The FCC's rules are supported by consumer groups and Web giants such as Google and Facebook. Verizon filed its case in the same federal court — the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia — that ruled last April that the FCC overstepped its authority in trying to sanction Comcast for blocking Web traffic. 'We are deeply concerned by the FCC's assertion of broad authority for sweeping new regulation of broadband networks and the Internet itself,' said Michael E. Glover, Verizon's senior vice president and deputy general counsel. 'We believe this assertion of authority goes well beyond any authority provided by Congress, and creates uncertainty for the communications industry, innovators, investors and consumers.'"
Re:Verizon is correct (Score:4, Informative)
If they're privately owned, why do they bitch at the government for money? Here's just one example. [techdirt.com]
I'm aware that article covers multiple countries, but it's rare nowadays for an ISP to be truly considered 100% privately owned...or at the very least, privately funded.
Re:Verizon is correct (Score:5, Informative)
They have no authority over private cables owned by private companies purchased by private homeowners.
Yes they do, because those same cables rely on poles and underground tunnels on public land, and in some cases were built with public subsidies, and are considered a public resource. The FCC also has authority over land-line phones for similar reasons.
Nor do they have the authority to censor content on the private cables.
They are proposing no such thing. Net neutrality takes away the power of private cable companies to censor content, but it does not give the government authority to do so.
Abolish the FCC (Score:3, Informative)
I've done a 180 on this recently and this just solidifies it. The FCC is out of control. I used to think my radio hobbyist friends were a little overboard with it when they were saying the same thing a few years ago.
The FCC is outside of its charter, one that needs to be revoked anyway and recast into something very limited, if at all.
IS it ? (Score:1, Informative)
Congress does not own Verizon's infrastructure, Verizon does.
the infrastructure that was built on PUBLIC land, with PUBLIC subsidies and with PUBLIC permission ?
what are you ? a moron ? people paid for that infrastructure. when did verizon get the right to usurp public land ?
Re:Verizon is correct (Score:5, Informative)
Private cables owned by private companies used by private homeowners...you mean phone lines right? The FCC definitely has authority over phone lines.
Oh, you were talking about internet infrastructure. What was the difference again? If the FCC has the authority to regulate telecommunications and enforce the common carrier laws with phone lines, they they have the authority to impose net neutrality. It's illogical for it to be otherwise. Whether the legal system will be logical is a different situation altogether.
Re:Abolish the FCC (Score:4, Informative)
Thanks for reminding me I want the EPA abolished too!
Anyone who says this has a very short memory. As late as the 1980s there was a dense orange-yellow smog cloud pretty much permenantly hanging over Los Angeles and many other metropolitan areas, unsurprisingly much like there are today over places like Beijing. The EPA and the Clean Air Act--along with even more aggressive regulation here in CA due to Los Angeles's unique geography--got rid of all those smog clouds, saving us billions in costs from increased health care and lowered lifespans.