The D.C. Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of Verizon in a net neutrality case, striking down portions of the FCC Open Internet rules that require telecom companies to treat all Internet traffic equally.
The court ruled that the FCC does not have the authority to compel Verizon — and thus, other telecoms — to treat all traffic equally. In other words, the FCC can't ensure that telecoms won't discriminate among Internet traffic.
See also: The Digital Divide Is Still Leaving Americans Behind
The ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia reads: "Because the Commission has failed to establish that the anti-discrimination and anti-blocking rules do not impose per se common carrier obligations, we vacate those portions of the Open Internet Order." The ruling was published on Tuesday.
Reacting to the ruling, Tom Wheeler, the chairman of the FCC, said that the commission will now consider "all available options," including appealing, "to ensure that these networks on which the Internet depends continue to provide a free and open platform for innovation and expression, and operate in the interest of all Americans."
Internet freedom advocates are already protesting the decision as well.
"We’re disappointed that the court came to this conclusion. Its ruling means that Internet users will be pitted against the biggest phone and cable companies — and in the absence of any oversight, these companies can now block and discriminate against their customers’ communications at will" said Craig Aaron, president and CEO of the advocacy group Free Press in a statement.
You can read the full ruling below. We will continue to update this story with more details.
Verizon v. FCC Neu Neutrality Ruling.

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