Staff Reports
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals recently put the final nail in the coffin for the Biden administration’s net neutrality rules, a misguided attempt to re-establish federal control over the internet. The unanimous ruling, delivered by Circuit Judge Richard Griffin, a veteran of the George W. Bush era, boldly declared that the Federal Communications Commission lacks the legal authority to regulate broadband internet providers in this manner. This decision effectively dismantles the Obama-era fantasy of bureaucrats dictating how the internet operates.
Net neutrality has long been seen as a thinly veiled power grab by the FCC, a move to extend its relevance as the regulation of traditional telecommunications waned. The agency’s heralding of net neutrality was framed as a noble quest to protect consumers from corporate villains looking to throttle content. However, this narrative quickly unraveled when the reality emerged: net neutrality was more about consolidating political power than safeguarding an open internet. The supposed adversaries who would benefit from this regulatory scheme—companies like Google, Facebook, and Netflix—played a role in manufacturing this crisis, all while peddling their own agendas to secure preferential treatment.
The saga officially started back in 2010 when the FCC brewed the first proposals for net neutrality rules. These proposals ignited a fervor across the nation, inciting protests, a flood of email comments, and even threats against those standing against the rules. The Obama administration seized on this manufactured frenzy, enacting sweeping net neutrality regulations in 2015. Fortunately, these rules met their undoing when Ajit Pai took the helm of the FCC under the Trump administration, leading to their official repeal in January 2018.
Fast forward to April 2024: in a glaring revival of failed policies, Biden’s FCC eagerly reinstated net neutrality, only for this new iteration to face swift and decisive blowback in the courts. Legal challenges mounted, and the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation saw fit to consolidate these cases, ultimately delegating the final decision to the Sixth Circuit. With this latest ruling, it seems net neutrality is destined for the ash heap of history—unless Congress somehow decides to reignite this legislative farce.
Excellent. This had nothing to do with 'neutrality' and everything to do with expanding the FCC's authority to regulate beyond it's Congressional remit.
Biden's Net Neutrality Rules Get Laughed Out of Federal Court https://t.co/7ItXAuZe0R
— William Barrett (@1778Barrett) January 3, 2025
The ruling makes a clear statement: the FCC cannot arbitrarily rewrite federal statutes to align with its whims. The reclassification of broadband as a telecommunications service subject to the rigorous and outdated common-carrier regulations under Title II is a jab at the very essence of free enterprise. Instead of driving innovation and fostering competition, meddling from regulatory bodies tends only to stifle what they falsely pledge to protect. A world without net neutrality rings unambiguously advantageous—less regulation promotes an environment ripe for creativity, entrepreneurship, and better choices for consumers. If the supposed calamities that net neutrality was meant to combat ever materialize, Congress can step in, but until then, the FCC should stick to its day job rather than scour the digital landscape for more red tape to ensnare.
In sum, the Sixth Circuit’s rejection of net neutrality is not merely a legal win; it is a victory for common sense and accountability. The court delivered a clear message to the bureaucracy: hands off the internet. With this decision, the hope remains that the focus will shift back to innovation, growth, and allowing the marketplace to thrive. The American people deserve the freedom to browse, stream, and create without undue interference from a sprawling government.
