Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
An appeals court has upheld the Federal Communications Commission’s repeal of net neutrality laws, but it vacated a rule that would prevent states from passing their own. The decision mostly marks a defeat for Mozilla, which sued the agency last year. But it’s tentatively positive for states like California, which has been fighting for the right to impose stricter net neutrality laws.
The District of Columbia Court of Appeals says the FCC had authority to reclassify internet service providers as “information services” under Title I of the Telecommunications Act, rather than “common carriers” that can be more heavily regulated. It wasn’t persuaded by most of the arguments against this change, but it noted three areas where the FCC hasn’t…