Tech

The Court Fight Over Net Neutrality Is Far From Over

The DOJ and FCC want an old net neutrality court ruling thrown out to make way for new lawsuits about the rule's repeal.

The Court Fight Over Net Neutrality Is Far From Over
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The Department of Justice and the FCC want the Supreme Court to throw out a ruling on net neutrality.

Net neutrality, the federal rule that required internet service providers to treat all web traffic the same, began in 2015.

Internet service providers fought to overturn net neutrality in court, but lost. An appeals court deemed net neutrality legal, and that ruling still stands today. That's what the Trump administration wants the Supreme Court to vacate. 

The DOJ argues the appeals court ruling is moot because the FCC overturned net neutrality it in 2018.

So why go after the old ruling if net neutrality has already been overturned? The reason is that multiple lawsuits have been filed to reinstate net neutrality. The DOJ says the old court ruling should be tossed to clear the way for the new litigation.